Polyhazardous Ways
by Cloud-1-3-5 and Ame Emi Dai
Summary: A new lair is discovered, and a team are required to investigate. Of course, it's never as easy as it first sounds, and trouble is never far away... in more ways than one. NaruHina, Action, Romance, Humour, Fluff.
1. A New Mission

A/N: (Don't worry, I'll try to avoid too many of these!) Just a little FYI for you - I'm including some Japanese words in this because it helps me with characterisation – I'm far too used to Naruto screaming "Nani?" as opposed to "What?" to let it slip. Translations for new words will be provided at the end of each chapter for the benefit of those who don't know them.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any characters mentioned therein. Writing for fun, and to share the Kishimoto-love.

That's all. Please read, enjoy, and have fun!

* * *

Shikamaru sighed softly as Tsunade finished briefly explaining the mission he was being set. "So if I'm the squad leader, that means we won't have a Jounin accompanying us?" he observed, more as a statement than a question. The answer was painfully obvious, after all.

"That's right," Tsunade confirmed. "This is only a reconnaissance mission, and if our information is correct, there shouldn't be any major difficulty on the way. I'm sure you're well aware of the condition of our village – we can't afford to use any Jounin on a B-rank mission. You've already proved your leadership abilities anyway, Shikamaru – I have no doubts that you'll safely lead your squad members."

Shikamaru sighed again. These missions always ended up being more troublesome than they first sounded. "So who else is in my squad?"

Tsunade smiled knowingly, bringing the tips of her fingers together and leaning back in her chair. "Two are on their way now. Kakashi's going to remind the third before he goes off on his mission."

Shikamaru closed his eyes and groaned inwardly. "Not that baka…"

* * *

"Hinata!"

The young girl froze as her father called her, flinching a little before turning round timidly. "H-hai?" she replied softly, her lilac eyes wide. She knew that tone meant her father was unhappy with her – it was a tone she seemed to hear at least five times every day. Everything she did, no matter how hard she tried, wasn't enough for him. It was as if-

"Where are you going? You're supposed to be helping Hanabi train today."

"A-ano… I'm being assigned a mission today, otousan," she answered, lowering her head as if she expected him to blow up at her for not putting her younger sister first. "I-I told you about it last week."

Hiashi frowned a little. "A mission?" He gave a soft 'hmph' before waving her away with one hand. "Very well. Try your best."

Hinata brightened up a little at this. "Hai!" she replied, a small smile on her face as she bowed to him. The young girl then turned and headed for the front door to the Hyuuga clan's house, adjusting the pack on her back as she hurried to make up what little time she'd lost.

"And Hinata?"

The girl paused again, biting her lower lip as she braced herself for what she knew was coming. "Otousan?"

"Don't hold your team mates back."

The girl visibly drooped at this instruction. "Hai…"

* * *

"Sakura! Are you sure you haven't forgotten anything?"

"Yes, mum!" the pink-haired girl called back irritably, glaring at the open door her mother's voice floated through.

"Got your scrolls?"

"Yes!"

"Got all your kunai and shuriken?"

"Yes!"

"Got your clean under-"

"_YES!"_

Sakura made an irritated noise in her throat, almost a growl, and continued stuffing items into her pack. So it was her first mission since Tsunade-sama had trained her as a Med-nin – so what? That didn't make her any more likely to forget what she needed. If anything, she felt even more intelligent now than when she'd started as Tsunade's apprentice, given the amount of information she'd had to soak in during her training.

Snapping the clips on her pack shut, Sakura swung it onto her back, glancing around her room to make sure she hadn't left anything behind. Her gaze lingered momentarily on the picture of her, Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei from their days as Team 7, before she turned her head away again, an almost pained look in her eyes. She missed Sasuke. She missed him _badly._

That was why she'd taken that training though, she reminded herself. She didn't want to depend on Naruto any more. She didn't want to be a burden on missions, to get in his way all the time and screw his plans up. And this was going to be her first chance to truly test whether she was capable or not. If she couldn't complete this mission without getting in the way, she'd have to beg Tsunade to train her even more. Otherwise, she'd still be that same old burden to Naruto whenever they were sent out again.

Despite all these thoughts, Sakura left her house and bid her mother goodbye with a smile on her face. This was the first mission she'd _truly_ looked forward to. While she had coped with all those she'd gone on in the past, there had always been a small hint of apprehension, even when she, Naruto and Jiraiya had scouted Orochimaru's sound village. There was always that fear that she'd just get in the way again, that she couldn't do anything to help, that she'd let her team mates down. This time, though, that worry was replaced with determination.

This time, she mused as she gave her forehead-protector one last tug to tighten it, she had a chance to do something right. This time, she wouldn't blow it.

* * *

"Seconds for free? _Seriously?"_

The owner of the ramen stall gave Naruto a wide grin. "You could practically keep our business going single-handed," he told the boy with a laugh. "You're our best customer, so I don't see why I can't offer you a little treat now and then."

"YATTA!" Naruto yelled triumphantly, punching both hands into the air as the bowl in front of him was refilled. "Thanks mister!" he added gleefully, scooping his chopsticks up again as he prepared to tuck in. "I guess the number one ninja in the village has to keep his strength up, ne?"

Naruto trapped a lump of pork and some noodles between his chopsticks and scooped them up, shaking them a little to let them cool off. "Itadaki-"

"_Naruto!"_

The blonde-haired ninja jumped violently as Kakashi called his name, fumbling with his chopsticks and almost dropping them on the floor. "Nani?" the boy cried indignantly as he spun in his seat to face his former teacher. "What was that for, Kakashi-sensei? I almost spilt my ramen!"

"You don't have time for ramen, Naruto," Kakashi informed the boy, folding his arms and bending forward so his head was at the same level as Naruto's. "The Fifth is waiting for you – or had you forgotten your mission?"

Naruto frowned a little. "Mission?"

The boy tried to recall when he'd been told he had a mission, mumbling away to himself as he strained his memory. "Mission… mission… mission… Tsunade no baachan gave me a mission…? What mission…?"

The grey-haired man sighed softly. "It doesn't matter _when_ she told you about it, Naruto," he reminded the boy with a long-suffering air. "She's waiting for you, so go and see her."

"Fine, fine…" the boy grumbled. "I'll go and see her."

Kakashi nodded his acknowledgement of this and leapt away to continue with the mission _he'd_ been set, leaving Naruto behind with his chopsticks still in hand. The loud-mouthed ninja grinned widely once he was sure Kakashi had gone, and turned back to his bowl. "I'll go as soon as I finish this!" he added in an almost conspiratorial tone, pleased he'd outwitted the Jounin. "Itadaki-"

"_NOW, NARUTO!"_

_

* * *

_

Tsunade turned her attention away from the three youths in front of her as there came a soft rapping on the door to her office. "It's about time," she murmured softly, before calling louder, "Enter!"

The door opened, and a sulking, orange-clad, blonde-haired ninja slunk into the room, jamming his hands into his pockets and kicking the door shut behind him as he grumbled to himself about the ramen Kakashi had made him leave behind. He joined the end of the line that had formed across the front of the Fifth Hokage's desk, and only then deigned to raise his head, a sullen look on his face as he waited for Tsunade to speak.

The Hokage remained silent a moment as she cast her eyes across the line of ninja in front of her – Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru and Hinata. Certainly by no means the elite ninja in the village, but she was confident they would suffice for the mission. "Let's get down to business," Tsunade began, picking a sheet of paper from the top of a pile on her desk. "I've summoned you all to me because I have a mission for you, as I'm sure you remembered." At this, she cast a pointed glance over the top of the paper at Naruto, who huffed softly and looked away without replying. It wasn't his fault he'd forgotten!

"First of all, you four are to form the squad for this mission. Shikamaru, as the only Chuunin among you, will be your squad leader. As I'm sure you all realise, this means that as of the moment you leave this village, he is in charge."

Three nods confirmed this was understood, but Naruto frowned softly. "Four of us?" he questioned, leaning forward to look down the line. "But I thought-"

Naruto fell silent as he set eyes on Hinata, his brow creasing in surprised confusion as he realised he'd entirely missed her, before turning to Tsunade again. "Ne, Baachan!" he hissed softly. "Wouldn't we be better having Neji in the group? I mean, he's so much stronger, and-"

A quiet, somewhat upset sound from the other end of the line cut Naruto off, and when he turned to see who it had been, he saw Hinata staring down at the floor, biting softly on her lower lip. Naruto's face dropped – he hadn't been loud enough for her to hear, had he?

"_Naruto!" _Sakura chastised sharply. "What was that for? You know that isn't fair!"

"Ne, ne, Hinata-chan," Naruto called hurriedly, waving nervously with both hands. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant-"

"I-it's okay… Naruto-kun," the girl interrupted, her voice soft and subdued as ever as she stared at the floor, poking the tips of her index fingers together. "D-don't worry about it."

'I knew it' she thought miserably as Sakura continued to scold the boy Hinata idolised. 'He doesn't even look at me, and he thinks I'm weak too. All that cheering in the Chuunin exam must have been to try to make me feel good…'

"For your information, Naruto," Tsunade called to the boy sharply. "Hinata has improved a lot since the Chuunin exam, as I'm sure you'll see on this mission." Tsunade gave the girl a reassuring smile, which Hinata managed to feebly return. "Further to that, Neji's skills are currently required elsewhere. Further to _that,_ I have already confirmed this squad with Shikamaru, and he agrees entirely that it's the best squad for the mission. If anyone is unsuitable, it's you and your attitude, but we knew you'd insist on going anyway."

"_My attitude?"_ Naruto exclaimed indignantly, ready to give Tsunade a piece of his mind before blinking softly as the rest of the sentence sank in. "…I'd insist?"

Tsunade sighed softly through her nose, and picked the sheet of paper up again. "As I'm sure you're all aware, there are two major threats to the village at the moment – Orochimaru, and Akatsuki. We have been keeping scouts on both these parties, but so far nothing about Akatsuki has emerged. However, we recently made a breakthrough regarding Orochimaru."

Naruto visibly brightened at this, both hands clenching into fists at his sides. "You've found him? You've found Sasuke?"

"Not quite," Tsunade replied, much to the boy's evident frustration. "But we have received reports of a lair Orochimaru has recently moved on from, and in a hurry if current indications are to be believed. It is up to you four to locate the exact whereabouts of this lair and bring back anything that may serve as a clue to his current whereabouts."

"But Tsunade-sama," Shikamaru interrupted. "If he has moved on from his lair, surely he'll have taken anything that might give him away with him? Is it worth risking a mission that might not even have an achievable goal?"

Tsunade sighed again. "I had contemplated that possibility," she admitted, standing up and walking to the window to gaze out across the village. "But there's still that chance that something got left behind. They may not have been able to take everything, may have overlooked something, or may even have decided some things weren't worth taking. In any case, even the smallest clue could be beneficial…" Tsunade turned to face the group again, focusing particularly on Naruto and Sakura with a twinkle in her eye. "Don't you think it's worth the risk?"

Both Genin nodded definitely at this question, the steely look in their eyes indicating that now that they'd heard this, they would take the mission even if it were just the two of them – Naruto so he could keep to his way of the ninja and rescue his friend, and Sakura because there was the chance to see Sasuke again. This earned a tired sigh from Shikamaru, as well as a mumbled "So troublesome," but he questioned Tsunade's logic no further.

The Fifth Hokage smiled at their reaction, before pulling a rather slim dossier out of a drawer and dropping it on the desk in front of Shikamaru. "In there is all the information we have," she informed him. "Read through it carefully, but do not under any circumstances take it with you. You are to leave the village first thing tomorrow morning – and that means at sunrise, not after breakfast," she added, her eyes darting toward Naruto again.

"Na-… why are you looking at me like that?" the boy spluttered indignantly. "I can last days without food if I need to! Breakfast is nothing!"

As if arguing with this claim, Naruto's stomach rumbled right on cue, earning a giggle from Hinata while everyone else rolled their eyes. The boy blanched a little, and wisely let the subject drop there.

"I apologise to the two of you who have already packed your bags so carefully," Tsunade told the group courteously, referring to the two girls. "But at least you have plenty of time to pack with the mission in mind now, right?"

As the two nodded again, Tsunade waved the group away with a casual gesture of her hand. "Dismissed!"

* * *

Translations:

Baka – idiot, moron, stupid etc  
Hai – yes  
Ano – hesitation word (think 'uhm' or 'uhh')  
Otousan – father (honorific term)  
Yatta – Whoo-hoo, yippee, hooray etc  
Itadakimasu – Phrase used before a meal in Japan  
Nani – What  
Baachan – Granny  
Ne – Hey

* * *

Reviews for a hungry author, please? If I suck, please be gracious in how you tell me about it! 


	2. The Journey Begins

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any characters mentioned therein. Writing for fun, and to share the Kishimoto-love.

Thank you everyone who reviewed! I won't answer them here, for the sake of reader convenience, but if you have a point you wish to discuss, feel free to email me!

Also, so you know: I'm aiming to update weekly, but some may take two weeks or so. Having college and an apprenticeship (both with a ton of paperwork) considerably reduces my free time. I have to put the rent and food first, after all, so please bear with me if there are delays!

* * *

"Hnn…" Naruto mused softly, staring at the vast array of items on his bed that he'd picked out. Following past missions with Jiraiya, he'd learnt to only take what his pack could carry – otherwise, it became too much of a hassle when his pack exploded and he had to pick everything up again. The problem with this was that the pack could never hold everything he wanted, which always left him with one of those horrible dilemmas – what to sacrifice, and what he'd definitely need on that particular journey.

"Well… I have to take my ramen," he decided, pushing the pots aside as he settled his number one priority. "That's important. And I need my scrolls… And my kunai and shuriken… I'd better bring some smoke bombs… Sakura-chan'll get mad if I don't take some spare clothes…"

The blonde ninja paused for a moment, smiling as the pink-haired girl's face came to mind. Deep down, he knew she would never feel the same as he did about her – that she only wanted Sasuke, and would never be interested in him – but a small part of him pointedly refused to believe it. It may have been stubbornness, refusing to let Sasuke 'beat' him again, or pride, or simply the refusal to let go of the feelings he'd known for so long. Whatever it was, though, that part of him was fighting to be heard above his better reckoning – and given that it was Naruto, his better reckoning didn't hold out very long.

'Maybe I can really impress her in this mission' he argued to himself, eyes beginning to gleam. 'I mean, she only likes Sasuke because he always acts so cool, so if I could do that too, maybe she'll at least start looking at me like she looks at him…'

A mental image swam through Naruto's mind of Shikamaru and Sakura both trapped by a horde of enemy ninja, their chakra depleted and fear in their eyes… and at the last moment, as the enemy lunged for the kill, he arrived, unleashing Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and kicking all the enemy's asses, finishing off with a dramatic 'V for Victory' pose. Then Sakura would smile a grateful smile toward her rescuer, looking even cuter than ever, and then…

Naruto's face gradually shifted into a dopey smile as his daydream continued, packing forgotten for the moment, before he suddenly frowned, blinking a little. Wasn't there supposed to be someone else in that image?

Shaking his head rapidly, Naruto let that thought slide. It was only a daydream, after all. If he didn't at least finish packing, he wouldn't even be able to go on the mission to _begin_ to impress Sakura, would he?

"Let's see… ramen, scrolls, kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs, clothes… can't forget Froggie…"

Naruto paused as he picked up the last item, hesitating as a chain of memories were stirred up within him. Froggie… Ero-Sennin kept taking Froggie from him when they went on missions… The last mission he went on with him was trying to find Sasuke and Orochimaru, when Sakura had tagged along too… they'd had to search because he hadn't been able to bring Sasuke back before, even though he'd promised Sakura…

The boy grimaced as he remembered his promise to the girl. It had been then that he'd finally realised she would never want him. When he'd seen how much she'd cried as she told him Sasuke had left, even he had been able to see it was because she was heartbroken. And he'd promised to bring Sasuke back; he had sworn it on his Way of the Ninja.

Naruto's mood was much more solemn as Froggie was stuffed into his pack. Who was he kidding, impressing Sakura on this mission? He could go out, save the village single-handedly, kill Orochimaru and Kabuto, defeat that huge snake Orochimaru summoned _and_ bring Sasuke back, and she'd still only have eyes for the raven-haired ninja.

'I can't go back on my word though' he told himself as he began dropping other items into his pack. 'I never go back on my word. That's my Way. And besides…'

Naruto dropped his pack onto the floor, kicking his weapon pouch down beside it so he wouldn't forget it. 'Sakura's my friend. I _can't_ let her down this time.'

* * *

"A reconnaissance mission?"

"Hai, Otousan," Hinata confirmed in a small voice, not quite daring to glance up from her meal to look at her father. "Tsunade-sama said that I've improved a lot since the chuunin exams, and that I was especially suited for this mission because of my bloodline…"

For a moment, Hinata sensed a small tinge of pride from her father, but he swiftly dashed any hopes that she might have had of him praising her improvement. "That is unsurprising; it's a fact that the Hyuuga family is the most powerful in Konoha, and the Byakugan is among the most desirable of bloodline limits," he observed, lifting his bowl of noodles up to sip some of the juice. "Of course, Neji has a far greater mastery of it than you, but he's away on a mission of his own right now."

Hinata worried at her lower lip as she willed away the tears that threatened to spring to her eyes at his harsh words. Why did he always have to compare her to her cousin? It hurt that he always put her down, rather than praising what she had achieved, and effectively told her that she was inadequate. Even the Hokage herself had noticed Hinata's improvement… so why was it so much to ask that her father would too?

"Hai, Otousan…" she eventually answered again, almost sighing as her mood deflated. "I… I'll do my best though," she added, this time turning her eyes up to face her parent with a small hint of optimism in her voice.

"Just don't get in your team's way," Hiashi cautioned, before setting his chopsticks down beside his bowl. "Gouchisousama."

"Un…Gouchisousama," Hinata replied softly, this time closing her eyes to hold the tears in as she left the table she sat at and began on her way to her room, silently willing herself not to cry on the way.

Once she'd made it to her room, Hinata sat lightly on the side of her bed, her hands folded in her lap as she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down before packing again. She couldn't think about her father now. She had to focus on the mission. If she wasn't going to hold her team back, then her preparation would be essential.

When she was more relaxed, Hinata began setting her usual ninja items into her pack, having opted to start packing again from scratch, before picking up and examining a small pot that she'd forgotten to put in the first time. It was the healing cream that she made herself, the same as she'd offered to Naruto and Kiba at the chuunin exam after their initial fight. She couldn't help allowing herself a soft smile as she recalled Naruto calling it 'incredible' when he'd used it.

There. Naruto didn't _always_ overlook her, she told herself, remembering the boy's outburst earlier that day. At the chuunin exam, he was the only one who cheered her on when her own teammate had told her to forfeit her fight with Neji. He'd accepted the cream she gave him, and had been impressed by it. Before his fight with Neji in the final round, he'd been worried, but he said that she gave him the strength he needed to go and win it.

She couldn't help a soft blush as she remembered what else he'd said too.

* * *

"_You know something? I like people like you."_

_

* * *

_

What he'd said earlier was true, she reasoned. They _would_ be better off with Neji in their group. He was stronger, smarter, braver… everything she wasn't. But Naruto hadn't said she was useless though, had he? He'd only said what they all knew, and maybe had all thought too.

'Naruto-kun… you had faith in me before' she reflected as she tightened her grip on the pot a little. 'I won't let you down this time… I'll try to be…'

Hinata's cheeks flared brightly as she set the pot into her bag securely, blushing simply at the thought of such a possibility. 'I'll try to be someone you can like…'

* * *

Many hours after the meeting, long after night had descended on Konohagakure, Shikamaru remained awake and alert in his room, studying the dossier Tsunade had given him. He needed to remember every detail – every line, every word and every single diagram – inside out. It was troublesome, to say the least, but Tsunade had been right when she'd said they couldn't take it with them. As he'd had to explain to Naruto, if the wrong enemy found the dossier, Orochimaru could find out what Konoha knew about him. While they didn't have a lot of information right now, it was better Orochimaru were left guessing as to exactly what they did know.

Sighing softly, Shikamaru slumped back against his wall, turning his head to stare lazily into the flame of the candle he had burning beside him. Candles were such troublesome things… They never provided enough light; what light they did provide was irregular; they were snuffed out too easily and burned out too quickly.

The dossier was troublesome too, Shikamaru had long ago decided. Essentially, all it told him was the general direction of the location of the reported lair, and a town near the reputed area. While some of the other information could prove useful later, it was only telling him how they'd gathered it and what it suggested, rather than anything of immediate importance – something that might help him form a plan.

Shikamaru made a soft, irritated cluck with his tongue as he finally sat forward over the dossier again, propping his chin up in one hand. He just needed an article of some importance to leap out at him, to give him some idea of what trouble they might encounter. If he could factor for a known enemy in his plans, he'd feel a lot happier about the mission. It would still be troublesome, of course, but then so were most things. He hadn't believed Tsunade when she'd said they didn't anticipate trouble – after, all why else would they have picked some of the more highly rated Genin for the mission? More likely, she'd said that to test their preparation skills – to be specific, how well prepared they would be when they weren't told of the need.

Flipping idly through the pages, having already read each at least twenty times over, Shikamaru frowned as he noticed something he hadn't before – two of the pages seemed to be stuck together. With a soft, curious sound, the Chuunin separated the two folios, allowing one eyebrow to raise as he began to digest the articles that he had, to that point, missed entirely.

"Hnn…" the Chuunin grunted as one paragraph in particular came to his attention. "That allows for our 'enemy' factor, at any rate…"

Shikamaru couldn't help a soft sigh, mixed with a yawn, as the next couple of paragraphs introduced them in a little more detail. "How troublesome…"

* * *

The following morning, Shikamaru awoke before the crack of dawn. He'd only gotten a couple of hours' sleep, but it would have to suffice for now. It was in the party's best interests to only travel by daylight, given that their enemy came from the Hidden Village of Sound and so would doubtless have the advantage in the dark, so he was sure he'd be able to make up for the lost hours that evening. In the meantime, he had plenty enough stamina to keep him going.

Dressing quickly and slinging his bag onto his back, he slipped silently out of his house and made his way through the blackened streets of Konoha village to the main entrance, where they had all arranged to meet. He was somewhat surprised to see Sakura stood there already, waiting patiently and looking somewhat drowsy.

"Hmm? Someone's early," the boy observed as he came to a stop, setting his pack down and slouching against the wall. "I always thought women were supposed to take a long time to get ready."

Sakura gave Shikamaru a somewhat half-hearted glare in return, before sighing. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted, which earned a curious noise from Shikamaru. "I kept thinking about the mission, and about Sasuke."

"Oh," Shikamaru returned nonchalantly. "I guess that's pretty troublesome."

Sakura sighed softly again. She hadn't expected sympathy from the Chuunin, but at least offering to listen to what she wanted to say would have been something. As it was, it sounded more like a 'case closed' remark. "Do you think he'll be okay, Shikamaru?"

"Probably," the boy remarked somewhat vacantly, with little inflection in his voice. "Orochimaru needs him alive for the next three years, right? That alone should guarantee his safety."

There wasn't much compassion in Shikamaru's voice as he informed Sakura of this, but perhaps that lack of sympathy was what helped the girl. He was stating what he believed, and stating it as a fact rather than opinion. Where empathy wouldn't have helped much, logic did. "Thank you, Shikamaru," the pink-haired kunoichi murmured with a grateful smile.

"I-I'm sure Shikamaru's right," a voice shyly chimed in from beside the two ninja. "Sasuke-kun wouldn't fall for a trap or anything either, would he?"

Had it been anyone else, the sudden presence might have made Sakura and Shikamaru start in surprise. As it was, Hinata's naturally timid charisma made her seem anything but threatening. "Yo, Hinata," Shikamaru greeted, a look of relief on his face as at least three of them made it on time. "Nice to see you're so reliable."

As soon as the Chuunin finished this sentence, referring to her timing, the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, firing golden streaks across the village and highlighting the little group as they waited for the fourth member to arrive. Under other circumstances, Sakura might have remarked on how beautiful the fiery aura around the mountain peaks looked at that moment. Hinata might have breathed a soft exclamation of awe, feeling uplifted by the sudden warm presence. Shikamaru might have even commented on how troublesome it was that he was awake to see it at all, instead of catching up on his missed hours of sleep. But those would all be under other circumstances – while the mission in itself was relatively simple, compared to previous expeditions, the weight of the expected results was massive, and the three ninja could feel that heavy burden beginning to form on their shoulders.

"YO!"

The party all jumped as one at Naruto's yell, the romance of the moment shattering along with the silence as the blonde ninja's voice echoed in the otherwise silent streets.

"Naruto!" 

"N-Naruto-kun!"

"Geez, you're loud in the morning," Shikamaru grumbled as he rubbed lazily at the ear that had been turned toward Naruto. "I'd expected you to be half-asleep and complaining about having to get up so early."

"Hah – not me!" Naruto grinned brightly, gesticulating toward himself with his thumb. "To the number one ninja in the village and the future Hokage, an early morning is nothing! I'm as ready as ever!"

Naruto topped this bold statement off with a triumphant laugh, much to Hinata's delight. She had also been worried about him being late or tired, and was glad he wouldn't be seen to be letting the team down so quickly.

"You're ready, Naruto?" Sakura enquired, a small smirk on her face. "Then where is your kunai pouch?"

"Huh?"

Naruto looked down at his leg, and gave a cry of dismay as he realised his weapons were indeed missing. "ARGH! But I left it with my pack!" he wailed in horror. "I put it there so I wouldn't forget! How did I miss it?"

'Geez… I knew he'd be troublesome…' Shikamaru mentally grumbled. "Naruto, just go and get it," he added out loud with a heavy sigh. "We'll wait here for you."

"H-hai!" Naruto yelled again, before dropping his pack and dashing off down the street back to his apartment. 'Crap…' he mentally berated himself. 'You're such a baka!'

* * *

Only a little later than planned, the group finally managed to leave the village. The two vast doors that led into Konoha slammed shut behind them with a finality that was eerie in the early morning silence, and the four young ninja began walking on their way.

"Ne, Shikamaru!" Naruto called to his leader. "I bumped into Kiba on the way back. He was taking Akamaru for his morning walk, and he had some soldier pills with him that he said we can have." Following this revelation, Naruto tugged the four pills he'd been given out of his pocket. "There's only enough here for one each, but he said he was running low."

Shikamaru actually smiled a little at this news. "I guess that makes things a little easier," he admitted, taking one of the pills and dropping it into a pouch. "We'd better be careful with them though."

Naruto passed one pill to Sakura, and also turned to give one to Hinata. He couldn't help a slightly confused frown when the girl suddenly froze and turned bright red as he held his hand out, the pill resting in his palm. He waited a couple of seconds, before moving slightly closer, ducking his head a little so that he could see her properly. "Hinata-chan?" he asked softly, his frown deepening a little. "You okay?"

The girl trembled for a second as she stared at the pill Naruto was offering, before she nodded rapidly, almost bowing with the speed of her head's motions. "Hai!" she managed to squeak out. "I-I'm fine… Naruto-kun…"

She reached out with one slightly shaking hand to take the pill from Naruto. 'I-It's only a pill…' she assured herself. 'It's not like he's about to ask me out or anything…'

As her fingers closed on the pill, the very tips of them brushed against Naruto's palm. This was almost too much for the poor girl, and she drew her hand back sharply with a yelp, as if she'd just touched a hot saucepan. This sudden motion made Naruto jump, and his cry only served to shake Hinata up even more. She fumbled for a moment, before the pill slipped from her fingers. 'Oh no!' she mentally exclaimed.

"Geez, you two," Sakura grumbled as she caught the pill deftly. "How long do you plan to make us wait?" She strode across to Hinata and took hold of her hand, pressing the pill firmly into her palm and closing her fingers round it. "Now be more careful, okay?" she cautioned with a smile.

"Un… gomen…" Hinata mumbled bashfully, lowering her head as she felt her cheeks burning. "I-I'm okay now…"

Truth told, Hinata wasn't okay at all. Her heart was pounding, and her brain was whirring a mile a minute. 'I-I touched him…' she thought in disbelief. 'I really touched him…' His skin had been as warm as she'd expected, but instead of being the hard, calloused surface she'd imagined, it was soft and smooth. Suddenly, the allure Naruto held over her grew even stronger. What else had she gotten wrong about him? What else was even better than she'd imagined?

Shikamaru had paid little attention to what the other three had been doing. The silence around them was… well, too silent, by his reckoning. The birds' dawn chorus should have been in full swing by now, and he was sure the various other animals should have been making noise too. Instead, there was almost a total lack of sound, aside from the three Genin making a commotion. It was like the silence was being forced.

Shikamaru frowned a little in thought. Well, given the look on Sakura's face, she'd just noticed it too. If they were under a genjutsu, she'd have detected it and tried to dispel it right then, so that wasn't the case. Which meant that the animals really were silent – or more likely, they weren't around. Which meant _something_ had scared them.

"Done now?" he asked the group with an almost tired voice. "We've got a long way to go before we'll reach our target."

As the three all fell into step behind him again, Shikamaru raised his voice a little to ensure he could be heard clearly. "Once we're away from the village, we risk a surprise attack," he warned the group. "So Hinata, I'll want you to turn your Byakugan on from time to time, just to scout ahead and behind a little for us. Sakura, you're highly perceptive to chakra presences, so I want you to watch out for anyone in the foliage, since there's a chance Hinata could miss them. Naruto, you're a strong fighter, so I want you ready to react to _anything_ those two detect. You're to be at the back of the party, and I'll watch the front. Clear?"

The three nodded, and the group quickly assumed a diamond-shaped formation, with the two girls in the middle, Naruto at the back and Shikamaru at the front. Hinata quickly activated her Byakugan, to check the immediate area, and gave a sharp cry of surprise as her attention was drawn to a presence immediately. "There's-!"

"Very perceptive, little girl."

As a deep, smooth voice came from the direction Hinata pointed, there came an explosion of leaves as a figure leapt out from a treetop, landing in a crouch before the group. Drawing himself up to his full height – which must have been getting on for six foot – he turned to face the group, where Sakura spotted the insignia on his hitai-ite. "A sound-nin!"

The ninja in front of the group shrugged this discovery off – if he'd wanted to hide that fact, he'd not have worn his forehead protector. "I must commend you for spotting me so quickly," he remarked, in a voice that relayed to the group that he honestly didn't care that he'd been found. "And your defensive strategy was certainly better than some I've seen. Unfortunately…"

The man shifted into an attacking stance, a wicked gleam in his eye. "You won't get to try it out again!"

* * *

Translations:

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu – Shadow Clone Technique  
Gouchisousama – term used after a meal  
Un – Yeah  
Kunoichi – female ninja  
Gomen – sorry  
Genjutsu – illusory technique  
Hitai-ite – forehead protector

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More reviews, please:holds out begging bowl: If I suck, please be gracious in how you tell me about it! 


	3. Aonsokunagare Revealed

A/N: Something occurred to me while writing this chapter – I haven't mentioned exactly where in the storyline sequence this fic is supposed to be set. Of course, you've all guessed by now that it's after the NaruSasu fight, but I've placed it just before the Bikouchuu arc – so no fight with Hidden Rock ninja, no Naruto seeing Hinata in the waterfall (we weep!) and no Naruto seeing Hinata's Shugohakke Rokujyuu Yonshou as yet. Hopefully we're all on the same wavelength now!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any characters mentioned therein. Writing for fun, and to share the Kishimoto-love.

As ever, I shan't answer individual reviews here, but feel free to email me if you have a burning question. Thank you all who left a review, _especially_ those of you who have left constructive criticism. Prior to this fic, I was a complete Naruto-fanfic-writing virgin, so everything you've said has been greatly appreciated. I shall do my best to sort out Naruto's characterisation, since that's what the biggest issue was, so please haul me up on that if need be! (There's actually more about that on the reviews page than there is good stuff at the mo, so I'd better do my best rectify that! XD)

And on with the show!

* * *

A silence briefly held the five ninja as the sound-nin made his brash claim, the opposing sides eyeing each other to try to establish what they might be up against. At first glance, the ninja was on a losing fight – four on one could never be considered favourable odds, after all. However, to have even approached them, he must have been confident in his abilities, which would imply he had something planned.

"Oi!" Naruto called out, stepping out from behind Hinata and Sakura and moving round beside them, glaring fiercely at their enemy. "You shouldn't just go starting fights with us, you know – you're gonna get your ass kicked if you do."

The ninja in front of them looked distinctly unimpressed by this threat. Instead of replying, one hand drifted to his wrist, where he took hold of his sleeve and pulled it up past his elbow, repeating the action on his other arm too. With the material out of the way, he revealed a host of scars on his forearms, trailing down to a small bulge just before each wrist. He then resumed standing and watching the group again, not reaching for a weapon or moving to attack – in fact, he didn't even have a weapon in sight.

'That must be how he attacks, then' Shikamaru deduced. The plain black clothing the ninja opposite him was wearing was too tight to his body to hide any weapons there, and he didn't have a weapon pouch in sight. There were no straps across his chest indicating anything might be fastened to his back either. 'But what sort of weapon is that?'

"Oi… be careful," Shikamaru warned his group. "Whatever that is by his hands must be what he fights with."

"Heh… no problem," Naruto returned. "You saw what Shino did to that sound-nin in the Chuunin exams. Air blasts will be useless against us."

"I'm not sure that's what it is…" Shikamaru cautioned the boy, earning confused sounds from the three other ninja. "He didn't have any scarring, and the tubes were in the centre of his palms." The Chuunin raised both his hands up into a defensive stance, keeping an intent gaze on his foe. "Sorry, but I think he's going to be more troublesome."

"Hah! I'll take him down on my own!" Naruto declared, pointing a finger at the ninja. "Any one of us could!"

"Oh really?" came the smooth reply. "Given what your leader was saying earlier, you're probably the only muscle of the group. She-" At this, he gestured toward Sakura, "-must not be much of a taijutsu user, if she's so sensitive to chakra presences at such a young age, and I assure you I can counter genjutsu. As for her…"

The sound-nin's gaze fell on Hinata, and his thin lips twisted into a cruel smirk. "Well… given the chakra I can sense from her, and the lack of malice in her eyes, I'd say she's not much of a threat at all. Probably a real let-down for her family."

Hinata let out a soft cry of surprise and slight upset at this assertion, and she took an involuntary half-pace back. Was she really so pathetic that a total stranger could tell that quickly?

"Hey!" Naruto snapped back at him, suddenly feeling even more defensive of his teammates. "You be quiet! Sakura's the number one genius Genin in the village, and Hinata's gonna be the head of her clan one day! They're both gonna surpass anything you could ever become!"

Both girls turned to face Naruto with surprised looks on their faces at this claim, before a light tint came to Hinata's cheeks and a confident smile crossed Sakura's face. "That's right!" she added in a defiant tone. "Shikamaru's the number-one strategist in the village too, and Naruto's dream is to be Hokage one day!" The pink-haired girl's smile turned into a wide grin. "He's the number one loud, hyperactive, annoying ninja in the village, and he's got more tricks than your freaky arms ever could!"

Feeling the self-assurance radiating from the other two, Hinata swallowed thickly and made up the half-pace she'd taken, then stepped forward a little further, trying to look more determined than she had. "So…"

Hinata paused as she realised her voice had been little more than a whimper. 'No… I can't be afraid now' she told herself. 'Naruto-kun is… he's watching. And he believes in you.'

Hinata felt her spirits rise a little more at this, and she seized on the feeling gladly. "So stop talking about us like that!" she piped up, this time making Naruto turn to face her in surprise. He rarely, if ever, heard her make sudden outbursts, especially in situations like this. "None of us are afraid of you! We're…" The girl paused, before remembering a word that had frequently haunted her and Naruto in the past, and that they'd both overcome. A word that no longer upset her, but instead made her smile as she remembered her and Naruto's history with it. "None of us are losers!"

Much to everyone's surprise – especially Hinata's – this final remark seemed to get under the sound-nin's skin. "So you wish to imply I am?" he growled softly. "Very well…"

The ninja's voice returned to its usual smooth intonation, and he smirked at the group. "Since you were good enough to introduce yourselves, I shall give you my name too, so you can curse it for eternity once you succumb to death's clutches. I am Soin, Chuunin of the Sound Village, and soon to be the means of your end!"

Soin visibly tried to move forward as he proclaimed his intention, but instead gave a soft, startled choke as he found himself unable to do anything more than lurch fractionally. "Wh… _what?"_

"Heh… too easy…" Shikamaru informed him, confidence in his voice. "While you were trash-talking my team, I activated my Kage Mane no Jutsu. You're trapped."

To demonstrate the effect of this jutsu to his enemy, Shikamaru extended one arm out, and the sound-nin gave an astonished cry as his arm did the same, moving against his will. "H… how?"

"Let me show you."

Shikamaru lowered his head, the sound-nin unwillingly copying, and gestured toward the floor with one arm, his foe's movements again mimicking him. This revealed to the sound-nin exactly how Shikamaru's technique worked – his shadow had stretched across the floor and merged with Soin's, and now any motion he made, Soin copied. "Like I said," the Chuunin stated bluntly. "You're trapped."

At this statement, Soin did something that surprised all of them. He started laughing. Despite his predicament, the ninja started laughing, a wild and almost maniacal laugh that immediately made the four leaf-nin feel uneasy. What was he up to?

Their unspoken question was soon answered as a voice came from behind them, making all four tense momentarily. "What a shame you didn't catch the real one."

Naruto, Hinata and Sakura all began to spin round at this, but weren't fast enough. With a cry of pain, Hinata found herself flying through the air as the sound-nin darted in, striking her with his full force across the face and sending her sprawling in the dirt. "Bastard!" Naruto cried, before lunging for the real Soin with a kunai he'd whipped out of his weapon pouch.

'Crap…' Shikamaru growled softly to himself. 'I should have allowed for this…'

He found himself unable to help, though, as long as the clone was in his bind. If he released it, the clone would be free to attack. As it was, the clone wasn't struggling – so Soin wasn't expending any extra chakra – but it was still keeping him out of the picture. He could attempt to catch the real Soin too, but it risked him losing his bind on his current opponent, and would take up twice the chakra. On top of that, one of the others could easily step into the way and get caught instead – which would be worst of all. 'Geez… how troublesome…'

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Soin's eyebrows raised in appreciation as four solid Narutos appeared around the original one, each taking up an offensive stance. "Not bad," he conceded somewhat grudgingly. "It's a pity your bunshin are no match for my special ability."

"Heh… we'll see."

With that, the four Naruto clones dashed forward as one toward Soin, each armed with a kunai and emitting a battle cry as they reached a full sprint. Soin, however, simply stood his ground and raised his two arms, patiently allowing the four to get within range of his attack.

"What the-?"

Naruto stared in confusion as his four clones suddenly stopped, clutching at their midriffs and sinking to their knees. Two popped away immediately, soon followed by one collapsing on his side and disappearing too. The final one managed to stay long enough to drop on all fours and throw up violently, before he too disappeared – the vomit mercifully vanishing with him.

"How…?"

A cruel sneer – the same as he'd bestowed on Hinata earlier – crossed the sound-nin's face. "Aonsokunagare no Jutsu," he informed the boy. "I can fire blasts of subsonic sound at you from my arms, instantly debilitating even the strongest of men."

Sakura's eyes widened at this. "Like Dosu used in the Chuunin exam!"

A short, amused 'humph' came from Soin at this. "Think of it as a superior version. His technique was supersonic, and affected the inner ear. Mine is subsonic – too low for human ears to detect. It fires sound waves at exactly eight hertz, the resonating frequency of the human rib cage. I'll make it easy for you to appreciate, before you get to feel it. It rattles your body at just the right rate to cause immense discomfort, affect your vision and hearing, induce nausea, mildly affect your heart and lungs and liquidate your bowels." The sound-nin looked exceptionally pleased with himself at this. "Not particularly pleasant, as your pathetic clones just found out."

Sakura's eyes widened. With all his gloating, he was letting down his guard!

The girl launched a kunai at the sound-nin, who dodged it with a simple duck of his head. "You'll have to do better than tha- _what?"_

The sound-nin's eyes widened as he realised Sakura had vanished. "Genjutsu?"

A searing pain tore through his shoulder as the girl revealed her new position. "Kawamiri, actually," she informed him, twisting the kunai a little. "I switched with a stone that was behind you while you were dodging my kunai."

"Go Sakura!" Naruto cheered, drawing his fist back ready for a punch…

…and instead gawping as the man Sakura had attacked disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"A… another clone?" Sakura stuttered, blinking in confusion. "But then… has Shikamaru got the real one?"

The kunoichi's question was soon answered, as a heavy impact struck her from behind, sending her skidding in the dust. Trying to push herself up again, Sakura gasped as a sharp pain came from one of her ribs. 'Damn… he's fractured it…' she cursed mentally. 'I'll have to heal it first…'

As the girl activated her healing technique, a green glow enveloping her hand, Naruto charged at their enemy one more time. "Damn it, I said I'd take you on my own!" the boy cried in rage, his eyes fixed in a steely glare as he formed a seal with his hands. "Kage Bunshin-"

The blonde skidded to a halt as Soin raised an arm again and pointed it toward him, before leaping aside as he saw the muscles in his arm clench. 'Crap… it nearly got me…' he growled inwardly, pushing off the floor and sprinting toward the man again. 'I'm gonna have to watch out for that.'

Dodging another attack, Naruto leapt at Soin, swinging a punch for him, which the sound-nin easily deflected. Pushing his guard-hand aside, Naruto came in with his other fist, which Soin again easily dispatched of. Dropping to one knee, Naruto tried to sweep Soin's legs out from under him, but was greeted by thin air as the ninja leapt, before kicking out brutally at Naruto's face. The blonde was sent flying toward the foliage that lined the path, and only just managed to notice the tree he was aiming for in time.

'Shit!'

Thrusting one palm into the floor, Naruto managed to flick his legs over his head, using them to cushion his impact with the tree and spring off it immediately. To his horror, Naruto saw the sound-nin much closer to him than he had been, and was unable to react in time to attack him. A thick hand latched around his neck, and Naruto found himself struggling for breath as he clutched at the arm, trying to break the grip.

"You're lucky, brat," the ninja growled as he tightened his grip. "If I use my Aonsokunagare from this range, the waves will bounce back and hit me too. I'm going to have to settle for crushing your throat instead."

Naruto's strangled gasps became more desperate as the ninja's grip tightened again, and he struggled to force one eye open. 'Shit… the others are all out of it… I've got to…'

Naruto's assertion of the situation wasn't entirely accurate, though. While Sakura was busy healing herself, and Shikamaru was holding the clone at bay, one member of the group remained unaccounted for. The dark-haired kunoichi who'd been attacked right at the beginning of the foray was presently outside of Naruto's line of sight, his view of her blocked by Soin's body. The kunoichi in question had just begun to push herself up from the dirt, her arms shaking as she shook her head to try to clear the daze she was in.

Hinata's eyes widened as she heard Naruto's chokes, and she sat up sharply to take in the situation around her. Everyone was… she was the only one left…

A knot twisted in Hinata's stomach. If he could take out all the others, could she really help? He'd almost eliminated her with that one hit. True, she'd been taken off-guard and hadn't been able to protect herself, but…

"_Ack!"_

Hinata's head snapped round to face where Naruto's cry had come from. The boy was choking, going red in the face as he kicked out at the ninja with all he could, but his resistance only resulted in the grip being tightened even more, becoming almost bone-crushing now. Taking a calming breath, Hinata shakily climbed up onto her feet, remembering what she'd promised herself last night. She wouldn't let them down. She wouldn't run away. She'd try to become someone Naruto could like.

She couldn't go back on her word. That was her Way too.

Drawing in another deep breath, trying to block out everything else around her, Hinata closed her eyes, before a series of veins suddenly popped up around them. 'Byakugan!'

Opening her eyes again, Hinata fixed her gaze on Soin – or rather, on the Soin that was attacking Naruto. Intensifying the chakra she was pumping into her technique, Soin's chakra circulatory system became visible to her. He was forcing a lot of chakra into the arm he was holding Naruto with – there was no way any of them would be able to pull his arm away. If she could stop the chakra flow, though…

It was risky. If he heard her approach, or if she missed his Tenketsu, she risked leaving herself open to another big hit, since she had to focus so much on her attack. He might choose to attack Naruto even more brutally too. But if she didn't do anything, it'd be her fault that Naruto was…

Swiftly expelling that thought from her mind, Hinata prepared to use her Jyuuken stance, and readied herself to run up. She had to be quick, and she had to be silent. Otherwise, it was probably all over.

'Here goes…'

* * *

Naruto kicked out vainly at Soin over and over again, straining to free himself from the ninja's grip. 'Shit… I can't lose here…' he told himself desperately. 'I can't! I can't! I-'

Naruto gave a cry of surprise as he suddenly felt the grip on his neck slacken off, dropping him to the floor in a choking heap. Raising his face from the dusty path, he stared up at Soin first in confusion, then in delight as he saw the look of rage on the sound-nin's face.

"Wh… _what?"_

"Yeah! Go Hinata!"

Soin spun round to glare at the girl behind him. He made to raise his fist to strike her again, to_ kill_ her this time, but found his arm unusable. He stared down at the useless limb in horror. "Bitch!" he snarled. "What did you do to me?"

Hinata's face practically radiated joy at her plan's success, and Naruto's praise. "I closed your Tenketsu," she stated simply, flushed with triumph. "You can't use that arm now."

"Then I'll just use my other-!"

Soin was cut off as a knee struck him under the chin, the blonde-haired ninja he'd been strangling only a few seconds ago back on his feet and ready for action again. Stumbling to keep his balance, Soin turned to face the boy again, raising his good hand to ward off any follow-up attacks. 'Damn… With only one arm, I'll struggle to hold two of them off, and if the pink-haired one comes back…'

The ninja brought one hand up to his face, touching two fingers to his lips before crying out an attack. "Kanakirigoe no Jutsu!"

Suddenly, a piercing whistle filled the air, making all the Konoha ninja clutch at their ears as an intense pain assailed them. Dropping to their knees as the force threatened to overwhelm them, Naruto and Hinata were unable to prevent Soin's escape as he leapt off into the trees, the clone Shikamaru held disappearing in a puff of smoke as soon as the ninja was out of sight.

* * *

The party, fully healed up thanks to Sakura's medic abilities and Hinata's ointment, had begun on their way again, their formation more relaxed now that the predicted attack had been and gone.

"Ne, Hinata," Naruto called softly, having been in unusually silent thought for the past few minutes. "Sorry for what I said yesterday, in Tsunade no baachan's office…" The boy grinned widely at the girl, giving her a thumbs-up with a short laugh. "You really saved me back there – she was right when she said you'd gotten stronger!"

Hinata, who had still been on a high from her earlier success, practically burst with delight at these words, immediately flushing bright red and ducking her head to hide her face. "Un… A-arigatou, Naruto-kun…" she stammered, her voice an almost inaudible squeak. "A-ano… I-I… I…"

"Hmm?"

"I… couldn't have done it if you hadn't been distracting him, though…" Hinata finished weakly. She had wanted to tell him that she had only been able to do it because he inspired her, because what he'd said to her in the past made her brave and gave her confidence in her ability, but her nerve had faltered as she'd tried to form these words.

"Yeah, I guess I was kinda awesome," Naruto laughed in agreement, folding his arms behind his head. "We make a pretty good pair!"

A soft cry of delight caught in Hinata's throat at these words, the girl freezing mid-step as they struck her. Although she knew he was only referring to them fighting, they were still so similar to what she'd always dreamed of him saying, and they'd taken her completely off-guard. She found herself unable to move for a few moments as those words echoed round her head, her life for those few seconds feeling like pure bliss, before she realised that the rest of the group had carried on ahead, and hurried to catch them up.

"What do you mean, you were awesome?" Sakura demanded. "You were getting your ass kicked!"

"I-… I was keeping him busy!" Naruto cried indignantly. "And it worked, didn't it?"

"You hadn't even known he was going to attack!"

"Yes I-… huh?" Naruto clipped his retort mid-sentence, frowning in confusion. "You already knew he was there?"

"Of course she did," Shikamaru responded. "Like I said, she can detect presences of chakra easily." The Chuunin grinned as he walked. "I guessed her and Hinata would notice him, and would pick up on my plan to lure him out. I was banking on you not noticing though," he added with a sigh. "You'd just cause too much trouble if you had."

"Honestly Naruto, you're hopeless sometimes," Sakura scolded.

"Hah!" the boy cried triumphantly. "Wrong!" At this, he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and held it out like it were a gold medal. "I swiped this from him when I attacked after Hinata got him!"

"Hmm?" Shikamaru took the paper from him and examined it. "It's a receipt… 'Okitaki Bar, Shinko Town'."

The Chuunin couldn't help but reflect on how stupid it was for a ninja to carry something like that with them. But then, he hadn't believed he could lose the fight or get pick pocketed during it, and so wouldn't expect it to matter. His arrogance exceeded his sense. More importantly though, from their perspective, Shinko Town was one location mentioned in the dossier, which at least confirmed where they wanted to head next.

A thought struck Shikamaru, aside from the many others Naruto's find had conjured. "Naruto… we didn't see any pouches," he reasoned. "How did you find it?"

The boy laughed sheepishly. "Well, when he was holding me up, I noticed a small white tag sticking out of a thin pocket on his waist. There were a few of them, so I guessed they were there to hold exploding notes and so on," he explained. "I guess I picked the wrong one though, huh?"

'Actually, you may have picked the most useful one of them all' Shikamaru contemplated as he looked over the slip again. He wasn't about to tell Naruto that, though – his gloating would be far too troublesome.

* * *

Translations:

Taijutsu – close combat techniques  
Kage Mane no Jutsu – Shadow Bind Technique  
Jutsu – Technique  
Bunshin – clone  
Aonsokunagare no Jutsu – Subsonic Flow Technique  
Kawamiri – Substitution technique  
Tenketsu – pressure points that can shut off or amplify chakra flow  
Jyuuken – the Hyuuga clan's fighting style  
Kanakirigoe no Jutsu – Piercing Cry technique  
Arigatou – Thank you

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Please review! And if I suck, please be gracious in how you tell me about it! (You've all been very good at that so far, and I thank you for it!) 


	4. Uzumaki Hyuuga Rendan!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any characters mentioned therein. Writing for fun, and to share the Kishimoto-love.

Thank you everyone who reviewed! As always, I won't answer them here, for the sake of reader convenience, but if you have a point you wish to discuss, feel free to email me!

Also, apologies for not posting last weekend. Life's been hellish for my betas and me lately, so between us we missed that deadline. Hopefully that's not gonna happen too often – and if it's any consolation, I've got as far as chapter 6 written, and up to 9 planned, so I'm not gonna bail out any time soon! This chapter is the unbeta'd version, but I'll update with the changes once I get it back. Don't wanna keep you waiting too long, after all!

* * *

"_Na-? We're stopping for today?"_

Shikamaru couldn't help a slight wince at Naruto's disbelieving yell. "Geez, you're too loud…" he grumbled as he massaged his ear with one finger. "And yes, we're stopping for today. We're training."

"_Nani?_ But we're all strong enough already! We don't need to train!"

Shikamaru sighed in annoyance. "I know it's troublesome for you, stopping like this," he reasoned. "But it's necessary. We have almost no experience fighting on each other's side, not counting you and Sakura. That'll put us at a disadvantage if we come up against a team that's used to working together."

The Chuunin dropped his pack down at the base of one of the trees that lined the clearing they'd stopped in. "If it goes well, we won't even need a day. We might work naturally. But we need at least some experience, however little today will give us."

Naruto growled in frustration at this. "But we need to find that lair!" he countered. "If we don't get on with our mission, it might-!"

"It might what?" Shikamaru interrupted. "Lairs don't just get up and walk away. Besides, if we just get on with it, we won't gain anything anyway. Once we get to the next town, we'll still have to wait until we find something to tell us where to go, and there won't be any chance of training with no-one else around once we're there."

"But…"

Naruto growled in his throat again, this time in defeat. He knew that what Shikamaru was saying made sense, but he just couldn't bring himself to agree. He wanted to press on, to go find that lair so that they had something to help him find Sasuke, so he could keep his promise. "Fine…" he eventually conceded, dropping his pack beside Shikamaru's.

"Naruto…" Sakura whispered softly as she walked across to dump her bag too. "I understand how you feel, but Shikamaru's right. I want to go on too, but you saw how much trouble Soin gave us, and that was one on four. If there had been real enemies, instead of just those clones, we'd have been in real trouble. And think about when we first fought Zabuza – would you and Sasuke have come up with that technique if you'd only just started working together?"

Naruto didn't reply, but the look on his face was concession enough of his agreement. If Hinata hadn't rescued him, he'd have had to rely on the Kyuubi's chakra to free himself, which he didn't want to do, since the others still didn't know he was the demon's vessel. Even if he had tapped into it, Soin's damn sound-jutsu would still have been a threat. "Alright!" he cried out suddenly, forcing himself to sound perkier. "If we're gonna waste time, let's get on with it!"

The other three permitted themselves a small smile at the irony of that statement. That was typical of Naruto, though – trying to make the best of a situation he didn't like.

"Oi, Naruto," Shikamaru called. "I've got a move I want to try out with you, if you want. It should make your Rasengan a lot easier to work with."

Naruto's ears almost physically pricked up at this, and the boy dashed off to listen to Shikamaru's idea. Smiling at the blonde's newfound enthusiasm, Sakura turned to Hinata to offer to train with her, and before long at all, the four youths were hard at work.

* * *

A Rasengan swirled rapidly in Naruto's hand, the boy emitting a battle cry as he ran in to attack the tree in front of him. 'Keep going… keep going…' he urged himself. 'Keep going… don't stop…'

Despite the mantra running through his head, Naruto found himself pausing momentarily again as he spotted the shadow at the base of the tree, earning a groan of annoyance from Shikamaru as his Kage Mane retreated. "You're really hopeless sometimes, Naruto…" he grumbled softly. "I keep telling you not to hesitate, otherwise the enemy can dodge away."

"But… but you said if I hit when you're still using Kage Mane, you'll take damage!" Naruto protested. "I keep seeing it on the tree when I run in, and I don't want to injure you!"

Shikamaru groaned again. Perhaps he'd over-emphasised the importance of the timing of this technique. It was, after all, his job to get the timing right, rather than Naruto's. "I've gotten Kage Mane out of the way every time so far," he pointed out, sitting cross-legged in the grass with a weary sigh. "I know better than you when it's safe. My timing gives the enemy a fraction of a second to escape, and that assumes they'll notice they've been freed. If they get half a second instead, it could go horribly wrong."

The Chuunin propped his chin up on one hand, his elbow resting on his knee. "If you don't stop hesitating, it won't work. Just do your attack as normal, and don't worry about me."

"Grrr… alright!" Naruto declared defiantly. "This time! We'll get it this time!"

'But that's what you said the last seven times too…' Shikamaru reflected tiredly as he pushed himself up onto his feet. Forming his hand seal, Shikamaru activated his Kage Mane no Jutsu again, watching his shadow snake across the ground and latch onto the base of the tree. He wasn't _really_ ensnaring it, since it was an immovable object anyway, but he hadn't told Naruto that. If the boy only learnt to do it when he knew it couldn't go wrong, he wouldn't have as much confidence about using it in battle.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A clone appeared beside Naruto in a puff of smoke, and the boy held his hand out, beginning to gather chakra into it yet again. His clone immediately began thrusting spirals of chakra into it too, and in a few seconds the familiar swirling blue and silver-white ball appeared in Naruto's hand. "Rasengan!"

The boy charged in at the tree once more, teeth gritted as he willed himself on to get it right once again.

'The shadow!'

Again, a brief hesitation.

"Geez Naruto… you're so troublesome…"

* * *

Sakura gave a soft grunt as she dodged another of Hinata's attacks, hopping backwards and skidding to a halt, panting slightly. Her and Hinata had both opted to spar with each other, to practice their taijutsu and get a feel of how the other fought, and so far Hinata had consistently gained the upper hand. The Hyuuga girl wasn't firing chakra with her shots, but she still managed to land far more than Sakura liked.

The pink-haired girl frowned as she tried to devise a plan, watching Hinata settle back into her Jyuuken stance again. Direct frontal assaults definitely weren't working, and owing to the girl's use of taijutsu as her main weapon, she wasn't tiring easily either.

Sakura's emerald-green eyes suddenly lit up as a strategy came to mind. She didn't know how well Hinata's byakugan might pick this up, but it was worth a shot…

"Bunshin no jutsu!"

Smiling, Hinata briefly shut her eyes, focussing her chakra up around them. 'Byakugan!'

As the girl's eyes opened, she saw with the 360° vision her bloodline limit afforded her that she was now surrounded by what would – to anyone else – appear to be three Sakuras. Of course, her byakugan saw straight through the illusion, and she immediately pinpointed the real target.

'Here goes…' Sakura told herself as she and her clones rushed in to fight Hinata. 'I hope this works…'

Ignoring the two clones approaching her, Hinata focussed her attention solely on the real Sakura, waiting for her to get in range. 'Not yet… not yet…'

With a sharp twist of her body, Hinata spun round and caught Sakura's arm as she swung a punch at her. Taking advantage of her opponent's surprise, Hinata flipped over Sakura and landed behind and facing the girl. All she needed now was to attack just above one of her Tenketsu points, to represent the final blow, and the spar would be over. Not wasting time, Hinata swiftly brought her hand up to Sakura's head, striking her chosen target…

…and giving a gasp of surprise as 'Sakura' vanished in a puff of smoke, being replaced with a large log.

'Kawamiri!'

The Hyuuga girl tensed up as she felt a cold blade press against her throat, before sighing in relief and a little disappointment as she realised Sakura had just beaten her. Raising one hand, to signal her forfeit, Hinata turned to face Sakura, nodding with a smile. "That was impressive, Sakura-san," she remarked brightly.

"You too," the girl returned equally cheerfully, tucking her kunai back into her pouch. "If you had been using chakra in your Jyuuken, I'd have lost long ago."

The two continued chatting amiably for a few moments more, picking out each other's strengths in the fight, before pausing with a slight wince as Naruto yelled indignantly at Shikamaru.

"_What do you mean, we're stopping?"_

"We've tried twenty-five times Naruto. We just can't get the timing down."

"This time! I'll do it this time!"

Shikamaru sighed. Truth told, the timing wasn't a problem at all – it was Naruto's lack of willingness to risk injuring his teammate that was holding them back. While that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was still troublesome in these circumstances. "You've said that twenty-four times, Naruto. Let's just accept it…"

The Chuunin stretched lazily, arching his back as he gazed toward the sky. "Some of our plans have worked in the past, like when we stole that barrel from the two sound-nin when we were going after Sasuke. This one didn't."

A growl of annoyance came from Naruto. "But-!"

"Besides," Shikamaru interrupted as he began to walk across to their bags. "I need a break. Kage Mane takes up a lot of chakra."

"But…!"

Throughout this exchange, Sakura couldn't help but notice Hinata staring at Naruto, her pale lilac eyes softer than usual as she watched the boy protest and beg Shikamaru to continue. The kunoichi gave a small smile at the wistful expression on the girl's face – if her crush had been on anyone but Naruto, the looks she gave him would have made it painfully obvious to him that she felt that way. As it was, Naruto was about as observant as a lump of concrete when it came to these matters, and just as dense too.

"Ne, Hinata…" Sakura hissed softly, waving for the girl to come closer. "You like Naruto, don't you?"

"Na… Na… Naruto-kun?" Hinata stammered, her cheeks tinting pink as she immediately became flustered. "A-ano, I…"

Sakura placed a hand lightly on the girl's shoulder, grinning wickedly. "You watch him all the time, with that dreamy look in your eyes… You either have a major crush, or you're a crazed stalker. Which is it?"

Hinata's face reddened even more at this, the girl not sure whether she should be embarrassed or horrified by this comment. "I-I… I have… I… I'm not a stalker…" she managed to feebly reply in her defence. "But he doesn't really notice me, does he?" she added, sounding a little downcast.

Sakura snorted softly. "If it's not ramen or training, he doesn't notice much at all. I honestly don't know what you see in the idiot…"

Hinata looked almost indignant at this remark – or would have if she hadn't been as red as a tomato – and Sakura laughed it off. "Hey, I'm kidding," she soothed the girl, offering her a friendly smile. "But have you ever tried to just talk to him or anything?"

Hinata shook her head rapidly. "I tried once, but…" Hinata lowered her head a little, poking the tips of her index fingers together. "H-He once said hi to me, when we were in the street, and I tried to talk to him… But I froze up, and when I did manage to blurt something out, Kiba-kun had started picking a fight with him, so he didn't hear."

Sakura laughed softly at this. "You've really got it bad, haven't you?" There was a pregnant pause for a moment, before the girl suddenly brightened up. "You want to talk to him now?"

Hinata's eyes opened almost impossibly wide. "N… _Now?"_ she squeaked almost inaudibly. "B-b-but, I…"

Sakura waved her protests off. "It's okay, I can help there," she assured her, guessing she was about to say she didn't know what to say. "Now that he's gotten into the swing of it, he wants to carry on training, right? Shikamaru's left him for now, so he doesn't have a partner." Hinata gave a soft, embarrassed utterance at Sakura's choice of wording, but let her continue without protest. "What if you were to suggest a new move to try out – one that involves the two of you? He did say how awesome you were when you defeated Soin, after all…"

Hinata, for a brief moment, looked optimistic about this proposition, knowing that it would be sure to get his attention, but her face fell again. "But I don't know any moves we could do…"

Once again, Sakura gave her teammate a knowing smile. "Just as well one of us does then, ne?"

* * *

"A-a-ano… Naruto… kun?"

The blonde-haired ninja looked up from his pack, where he'd been trying to decide which pot of ramen he'd eat later, and frowned in a little confusion as his companion addressed him nervously. "Hmm? Hinata-chan?"

She was doing that thing again, he realised. She never seemed to hold eye contact with him, and she always twiddled her fingers about. She always stuttered too. She wasn't _afraid_ of him, was she? "Ne, you don't need to be so nervous," he assured her with a small laugh.

"H-hai!" the girl blurted out, sharply dropping her hands down by her sides and standing almost poker-stiff, before glancing aside again. "A-ano… I was just wondering if you would…" The girl swallowed thickly, taking a composing breath. "I-if you would like to… to t-train with me…"

Naruto tilted his head curiously. That was what she was so nervous about? Was she expecting to be rejected or something?

Hinata noticed this hesitation, and mistook it for him weighing up whether or not it'd be worth his time. "I was talking to Sakura-san!" she blurted out again, before realising how little sense that information alone made, and remembering that Sakura had insisted that Hinata claim the idea as her own. "Uh-uhm… I was talking to Sakura-san, and we – _I_ – came up with a move we could try…"

Naruto blinked a couple of times, before realisation dawned on him. So _that's_ why she was so nervous! She was worried he wouldn't like what she suggested! "Oh! Sure, Hinata-chan!" he agreed brightly, zipping his pack shut and standing up. "It sounds awesome! What were you thinking we could do?"

The girl forced back a sigh of relief, before answering the orange-clad boy. "W-well, you remember your Uzumaki Rendan move you used again Kiba-kun?"

"Sure," Naruto answered, recalling their fight in the Chuunin exam.

"Well…"

* * *

"U!"

Naruto darted forward, ramming his fist into the log he and Hinata had selected to practice their move on and sending it flying toward his three clones. Originally, he had offered to take on the role of the victim, and have an extra clone play his part, but Hinata had gently pointed out that maybe it wasn't such a great idea.

"Zu!"

"Ma!"

"Ki!"

Each exclamation was punctuated by a kick as the three clones sent the log spiralling skywards. The rest of the move was up to Hinata now.

The girl took a short run up, hopping onto Naruto's back as he bent over for her to springboard off him, and leapt up into the air, completing one elegant somersault before drawing both hands into striking positions, charging her chakra into her arms. 'Don't fail…' the girl told herself. 'He's watching you… he's ready to acknowledge you…'

The log came up to meet her.

Three… two… one…

'Be someone he can like…'

The girl thrust both palms forward, firing two simultaneous Jyuuken strikes into the log and forcing as much chakra into the impacts as she could. "Rendan!"

Shikamaru and Sakura gave cries of mixed surprise and awe as the log quite literally exploded, showering splinters all around them as the wood failed to contain all the chakra and burst under the strain. By the time Hinata landed gracefully next to her idol, there wasn't even a central core of wood left – the entire object was now spread over a 20ft diameter.

"…"

Hinata turned to face Naruto, breathless excitement on her face as she awaited his reaction. She hadn't intended to put quite so much power into her shots, but she was sure it couldn't harm Naruto's assertion of the move.

"…"

The girl's optimism wavered and fell a little as Naruto continued to stare down at the floor, his face a mixture of what appeared to be solemn-ness and blankness as he maintained his silence. It was a look she suddenly recognised as similar to the one her father wore whenever he was disappointed in her training, and her heart sank further. "Naruto-kun…?"

"Hinata…"

Suddenly, the boy's eyes and whole face lit up, and he leapt at Hinata and drew her into a tight hug, almost bouncing in his excitement. "THAT WAS _INCREDIBLE!"_ he enthused, tightening his grip on the girl and spinning round, lifting her off her feet. "I never realised you could do that much! That move was awesome! We can kick anyone's ass with that!"

"Na… Naruto-kun!" the girl gasped softly. She could feel her face almost burning because of their closeness, her blush was so bright, and she was beginning to struggle for breath in the boy's vice-like grip. Neither of these mattered, though, as she watched the boy's face, his smile as wide as she'd ever seen it. 'I made him so happy…' she rejoiced mentally, beginning to feel like she was floating rather than spinning. 'I really made him happy… And he's… he's hugging me… he's actually cuddling me and happy…'

"Naruto!" Sakura called out, unable to help smiling as she saw the delighted look on Hinata's face. "I think Hinata would like to be able to breathe some time soon!"

The boy stopped spinning and looked at Hinata's bright red face, barely inches from his own, and drew back with a startled cry as he saw the shade she'd turned. "G-gomen, Hinata-chan," he apologised, thinking his grip had caused her change in colour. "I didn't mean to smother you!"

"I-… it's okay, Naruto-kun…" the girl replied breathlessly, fighting off a faintness that threatened to overcome her. "I-I didn't mind at all…"

* * *

As it turned out, after practicing that technique a couple more times (with Hinata putting a little less chakra into her strikes), Naruto had not had any problem with staying and training for the rest of the day. Shikamaru had even managed to improve their move, by suggesting Hinata use Henge no Jutsu as Naruto used Kage Bunshin, so that she'd look exactly like Naruto too. This would mean that the enemy wouldn't even anticipate the Jyuuken strikes coming, believing a clone was about to attack them, and would instead prepare for a more direct physical attack. Shikamaru and Sakura, in the meantime, had spent a lot of time working together too, and, since they both depended on using strategies rather than direct combat, had found their fighting styles gelled well. Further to that, Sakura had the confidence to strike targets held in Shikamaru's Kage Mane too, without any flaws in their timing.

"Honestly, Naruto," Shikamaru sighed as the group sat round a fire they'd set up in the clearing, ready to camp there for the night. "It really wasn't that difficult to use your Rasengan normally, was it? I mean, all it took was some brains and a little faith in your teammates."

"Perhaps you should teach _me _that move," Sakura teased with a grin. "I mean, it'd be in the best interests of the team, right?"

Naruto gave the two a sideways glare, narrowing his eyes. "Hah!" he snorted indignantly. "Only the number one ninja in Konoha could use that move! You two are just jealous!"

A resounding whack rang through the clearing, and Naruto whimpered and clutched at his head as Sakura withdrew her fist. "Itai…" he whined as he rubbed at the spot, where a bump was already forming.

"Humph!" Sakura returned derisively. "Learn some humility!"

"_N-nani?"_

As the two began bickering again, Shikamaru groaning softly and turning his attention to the riceballs he was eating, Hinata watched them for a few moments, before turning to face the crackling fire they all sat around. Propping her chin in her hands, she watched as a pinecone popped loudly, the yellow flare-up replicated almost mirror-like in her pale eyes.

* * *

"_I… I'll do my best though," Hinata added, this time turning her eyes up to face her parent with a small hint of optimism in her voice._

"_Just don't get in your team's way," Hiashi cautioned,_ _before setting his chopsticks down beside his bowl. "Gouchisousama."_

"_Un…Gouchisousama."_

_

* * *

_

The Hyuuga heiress permitted herself a small smile as she shifted a little, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her cheek against them, facing Sakura and Naruto again – the latter of whom had given up fighting and was now drowning his sorrows in ramen. Giggling a little at the admittedly cute sulk on Naruto's face, Hinata began to feel an easy air settle around her, truly relaxing for the first time in far too long.

'Don't worry, Otousan' she mused silently. 'I really will be the best I can, this time.'

* * *

Translations:

Kyuubi – the Nine-Tails Demon Fox  
Bunshin no Jutsu – Clone Technique (illusory clones, rather than solid clones like Kage Bunshin)  
Uzumaki Rendan – Uzumaki Combo (full name is 'Uzumaki Naruto Rendan')  
Henge no Jutsu – Transformation Technique  
Itai – Ouch

* * *

More reviews, please? If I suck, please be gracious in how you tell me about it!

Also, I have a question – in the town, would you rather see me get the important stuff done and then get on with the plot, or would you rather they waited around a little, and I threw in some additional NaruHina fanservice? Maybe you think the fluff so far is detracting from the story; maybe you can't get enough of it. Your votes won't necessarily _decide_ the path I take, but they'll certainly influence me. Your call!


	5. The Uzumaki Charm

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any characters mentioned therein. Writing for fun, and to share the Kishimoto-love.

Once again, thank you all for your reviews. I love each and every one of you, truly. In an entirely platonic way, of course…

* * *

Within the confines of the two tents the four ninja shared, three slept soundly as the sun rose. The morning was not yet bright enough to waken them, since the weak sunlight could scarcely pierce the forest so early, and the dawn chorus had not yet risen to a level that could filter into their dreams.

One ninja, though, had awoken before the sun, and was already prepared for the day ahead. Slipping silently out of her sleeping bag, the girl crept stealthily out of the tent she shared with her fellow kunoichi, and stretched with a happy sigh as she stood in the clearing, filling her lungs with the early morning air.

Pausing for a moment to look up at the fresh pink-tinted skies above her, Hinata favoured the world with a pleased smile as a gentle breeze stirred her midnight blue hair. Her intention was to go and train, to practice her Shugohakke technique before any of the others awoke. It wasn't so much that she wanted to hide the move from them, but rather that she didn't want to take up any of the time that they should have spent travelling.

Glancing round the immediate area, Hinata tried to spot somewhere that might be suitable for her to train. The last thing she wanted to do was destroy a section of woodland, but – the clearing she was currently in aside – the surrounding area was quite thick. Perhaps if she picked her way through the underbrush, she'd come across somewhere suitable.

Nodding confirmation of this plan to herself, the dark-haired girl began to walk across the glade, pausing for a moment as she passed the boys' tent a little way from her own, noticing they'd left the entrance uncovered.

'Did they leave the flaps open all night?' she wondered briefly. Perhaps she should close them, she mused. It was probably too late to prevent them catching cold, if they were going to, but it'd at least grant them a little privacy when they woke…

Kneeling down at the entrance to the tent, Hinata reached for the thin cords that had been used to hold the flaps aside while they'd all been sitting round the fire. She hesitated, though, as she saw the boy sleeping by the entrance, lying on his side with his face toward the opening, his nightcap miraculously still exactly where it was on his head when he went to sleep.

"Naruto-kun…" she breathed softly as she looked down at the boy. It was the first time she'd seen him asleep, she realised, and he looked so… so _different._ When he was awake, he was always alert, full of energy, and seemed to have that wide grin on his face almost constantly. Asleep, he looked so calm and peaceful, so content – the exact opposite to what she was used to. She couldn't quite decide if it made him look younger or more mature, but it was still endearing, especially seeing the grin replaced with a gentle, content smile, as if revealing a softer side.

As she gazed down at him, Hinata noticed some stray strands of hair had dropped down beside his eyes in the night, now that his forehead protector wasn't holding them back. With an almost motherly instinct, the kunoichi reached out to gently brush them aside.

"Nnn…"

Hinata barely managed to suppress her squeak of horror as Naruto stirred, scurrying away from the tent as the boy rolled onto his back with a grunt. Slowly, the girl's consciousness caught up with what she'd just been about to do, and her face – predictably – illuminated a neon shade of red. God, what if he'd woken with her leaning over him like that?

Pushing herself up to her feet, the tent flaps forgotten, Hinata dashed away into the bushes behind the tent. Training. That was what she was supposed to be doing. _Training._

_

* * *

_

A drawn-out yawn filled the air as a bleary-eyed blonde boy climbed out of Naruto and Shikamaru's tent, Naruto bringing one hand up to cover his mouth as he stretched the other arm out. Sleeping on the forest floor wasn't half as comfy as sleeping on his bed, he decided as he loosened up an aching shoulder. When they got to the next town, he'd have to see about getting a blanket to put under his sleeping bag.

Shikamaru wasn't far behind Naruto, going through much the same series of motions as his companion had. He really wasn't much of a morning person either, but he at least managed to form a coherent sentence as he turned to face Naruto. "Are the girls still asleep?"

A vague shrug was all the response Shikamaru got, and the Chuunin sighed as he began to walk over to the girls' tent. He really hoped neither of them were crabby about being woken up – Hinata, he couldn't imagine _ever_ being crabby, but Sakura he anticipated being truly scary. He was sure Naruto would agree with his personal assertion of the female gender after being faced with the pink-haired girl for so long.

"Troublesome, all of them," he murmured as he bent down in front of the tent. "Oi!" he called a bit louder, lightly slapping the door – which Hinata had zipped up as she'd gotten out – with the back of his hand. "Time to get up, you two. We'll have to leave soon."

There came a shuffling sound from inside, and the zip on the flaps soon whizzed up, the material parting to reveal Sakura's confused face. "Two?" she enquired. "Isn't Hinata out there with you?"

"Hinata's not there?"

Shikamaru groaned inwardly. 'Geez… she couldn't have been taken away, could she? Surely we'd have heard something? But then, where is she?'

The Chuunin stood up again, sighing with the air of one who has all the pressure of the world on his shoulders. "You wait here, Sakura. Me and Naruto will go and look for her."

"Huh?" the blonde enquired, hearing his name mentioned. "Look for who?"

"Hinata's missing," Shikamaru explained. "It doesn't look like she was taken unwillingly, but we still need to know where she is."

Naruto's eyes widened a little at this news. Hinata wasn't the type to just wander off, was she? Surely she'd have told someone if she was going for a walk? So where was she then? "HINATA!" he called out, shouting into the woods surrounding them. "HINATA!"

It was at that moment that the girl in question had returned to the campsite, a pile of firewood that she'd stopped to collect in her arms, and she froze as she came partway round a tree. She hadn't been away long enough to make them worried, had she? She immediately felt a pang of guilt, and nervously cleared her throat to call out that she was alright.

She was cut off, though, as Sakura spotted her and motioned frantically with her hands for her to keep quiet, this action missed by Naruto as he dashed across to the other side of the glade to call into the trees over there. A certain glint had come into Sakura's eyes – the same as she'd had yesterday when teasing Hinata about her crush, the Hyuuga heiress realised – and she then motioned for Hinata to hide behind the tree.

'Just wait, Hinata' the girl mentally urged with a smile. 'Just ten seconds, so you can see how worried Naruto gets. Maybe that'll help you get the confidence to speak to him.'

"HINATA! _HINATA!"_

"Geez Naruto, calm down," Shikamaru groaned. "I said she probably wasn't taken. We just need to go and look for her, not tell the whole world she's missing."

Naruto either ignored or didn't hear this instruction, and dashed back across the dell to shout into the foliage on that side. _"HINATA!"_

A sharp shriek of surprise came from the other side of the tree in front of Naruto, followed by the sound of something being fumbled and dropped. This made the boy pause for a moment, before peering curiously round the vast trunk, squinting as he saw his team-mate bent down on her knees, gathering her logs up again. "Hinata? You were here all along?"

"A-ano… I just got back…" the girl lied, ducking her head lower to hide her flushed expression from the boy. "I-I went out to get some firewood, since I know you need to heat water for your ramen… Naruto-kun…"

The boy watched Hinata for a moment longer, digesting this information, before a wide grin spread across his face. "Sankyuu, Hinata," he responded, before kneeling down beside her to help her out. "I really should've thought of that yesterday, shouldn't I?" he added sheepishly.

The girl's breath hitched as she realised how close to her Naruto had just knelt, and she began to scoop the logs up twice as quickly as she grew more flustered. "A-ano… it's not your fault," she managed to rush out, desperate to say something now that Naruto was talking to her, but not wanting to just agree with him in case he took insult. "Uh-uhm… you trained so hard, you were probably tired, and…"

One thing Hinata had never been good at was making excuses, especially for other people. Her usual response to anything that involved confrontation was a resigned silence or submission, after all. Mercifully, she was spared having to finish the sentence she'd trailed off from as the boy grabbed the last log and stood up.

"Well, no matter now, right?" the blonde chirped brightly at the thought of the ramen that awaited him. "I'll just remember next time!"

Naruto paused a moment to make sure Hinata was able to comfortably carry the logs she still had, before making his way round the tree and back into the clearing, singing something about pork and miso under his breath. With a soft giggle, her cheeks still dusted pink but beginning to clear up, the Hyuuga heiress soon followed him, apologising to Shikamaru and Sakura for any trouble she'd caused.

* * *

"So where next, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked of his team's leader around a mouthful of ramen. "That paper I found said something about a town, didn't it?"

"Un," the Chuunin confirmed. "Shinko Town. It was mentioned in the dossier that Tsunade-sama gave me." A sigh came from Shikamaru's lips at this statement, as if just relaying this much was an effort. "Apparently it's not so far from the area the lair is supposed to be, though _exactly_ where the lair is is still a mystery. At any rate," he added, nonchalantly scooping up some more of the rice he was eating. "That's where we need to go. We know Soin has at least been there, so maybe someone there can tell us something of use."

'Of course, aside from the bar's owners, we don't know who to ask' the Chuunin grumbled to himself. 'Which means we could get lucky quickly, or we could be there for a while. That would be troublesome…'

Naruto nodded at this. "So we need to go intelligence gathering," he observed, a frown forming on his face as he recalled Jiraiya's rather dubious methods of 'gathering intelligence'. "Damn Ero-Sennin…" he mumbled to himself.

"Naruto!" Sakura called warningly. "If you think you're going to copy that perverted hermit, you-"

"_Hey!"_ Naruto spluttered, his face and voice indignant. "Like I'd ever do that! I'm not a pervert like him, and I'm not old enough to drink!"

Shikamaru and Hinata merely exchanged bewildered glances at this outburst.

"Besides, he never finds anything that way anyway!" Naruto concluded with a dignified nod. "He just gets lucky now and then." Here, the boy's face broke into a grin as he gestured toward himself with his thumb. "I'll just turn on the Uzumaki charm, and we'll have answers in no time."

"Charm?" Sakura snorted. She was about to pass a derisive comment Naruto's way, when the boy interrupted her with another offended yell.

"I have got charm!" Naruto retorted. "I can… uh…"

The boy trailed off as he struggled to grasp an example of just how charming he knew he could be. He was _certain_ that he had the capability. But now that he thought about it, he'd never actually tried.

"Hinata!"

The girl jumped as Naruto called her name, looking up from her breakfast with startled eyes. "N-Naruto-kun?"

The blonde leaned over to her, propping himself up on one arm as he flashed her his best smile, trying to make his voice as rich and sophisticated as he could. "What do you think? If you knew where Soin was, could I charm that information out of you?"

Shikamaru and Sakura both blanched at this. Had Naruto actually been aware of Hinata's feelings, they'd have accused him of cheating. But as it was, that'd have been like one of the Jounin telling them off for drinking punch they didn't know had been spiked. By a technicality, and sheer fortune, Naruto was about to win the argument. 'He looks _creepy_ though…' Sakura remarked to herself with a shiver.

"Uh… ah… ano…" the Hyuuga girl stammered, her cheeks scarlet as Naruto leaned a little closer still. He suddenly realised he actually knew very little about what charming someone entailed, and began to desperately try to remember anything he'd seen anyone else doing that might qualify for it.

"Well, Hinata?" he pressed, lowering his eyelids a little in what he hoped was a charismatic manner. "Would you tell me?"

Hinata felt her stomach tighten as her resolve broke. His sparkling cerulean eyes caught her every time she looked at him, but now that he was using come-to-bed eyes on her, eyes that seemed darkened almost _lustfully_ now, she found herself utterly lost. "Uh-uhm… I-I… Everything…" she managed to squeak weakly…

…before tipping backwards off the log she sat on, hitting the floor with a light thud as she passed out cold.

A tired sigh interrupted the dumbfounded silence that followed this. "Now we have to wait for her to wake up… how troublesome…"

* * *

The team had already packed the tents up by the time the Hyuuga heiress had awoken, and had started on their journey as soon as they were sure the girl was alright. This had taken some time, since every time they'd asked how she was, she'd clammed up or simply stuttered, eyes wide and cheeks flaring.

"Hinata?"

While she'd been unconscious, she'd dreamt of Naruto – of the boy giving her that foxy grin again, leaning in closer as he gave her that look once more, his breath brushing her cheek as he'd whispered her name, before his lips gently touched against hers…

"Hinata!"

The girl squeaked, jumping violently as Sakura's voice broke through her daydream, staring up with scarlet cheeks yet again. "A-ano, I, uh, we didn't! I mean, uhm… no kissing… uhm…"

Sakura's eyebrows rose at this. That was the most they'd gotten out of her since she'd passed out, and it still hardly seemed coherent. She might have wondered if Hinata had gotten a concussion, but for the fact that the thick hood on her jacket had cushioned her head as she landed. "Are you alright now, Hinata?" the emerald-eyed girl enquired. "Is it okay if we get going?"

Hinata's eyes widened, her sudden recollection of the mission blasting the daydream away. "H-Hai!" she replied, her voice rising in pitch as she jumped to her feet. "I-I'm fine!"

The team now walked along the same path they'd been following for the last couple of days, conversation rising and flagging between them as the time passed. The silences weren't exactly awkward; they were simply the leftovers from the discussions tailing off, leaving each ninja with their own thoughts – Naruto and Sakura both thinking about Sasuke (in different ways, Naruto would hasten to add if asked), Hinata thinking about Naruto, and Shikamaru about how troublesome the mission was yet to become, and how there weren't any clouds in the sky today.

"Ne, Shikamaru," Naruto called as a thought struck him. "Where are we sleeping when we get to the town? Are we going to use our tents, or hire some rooms in an inn?"

The Chuunin's lips pursed thoughtfully at this. "By choice, I'd take an inn," he admitted, jamming his hands into his pockets nonchalantly. "But I suppose it depends how much they cost, and if there's rooms for us."

"Hah!" Naruto snorted. "We can just send the bill to Tsunade no baachan!"

Shikamaru actually shuddered a little at this. "I already contemplated that possibility, Naruto," he informed the boy. "Depending on the price, I came up with ten possible outcomes of such a move – and none of them involved her smiling sweetly and accepting the charge."

Naruto considered this information. Come to think of it, he remembered that one time he'd charged a bowl of ramen to her while he'd been out on a mission with Ero-Sennin. Upon reporting back, he'd spent five minutes dodging various items of furniture and crockery – some of which he was sure he'd never seen in her office before. It wasn't the cost, she'd insisted, it was the principle. His retorting that in other words, she meant she was a tight-fisted old hag, hadn't exactly helped the situation.

Naruto was about to relay this opinion of the Hokage, when a deep, slightly hoarse-sounding voice interrupted, cutting him off. "Tsunade, hmm? Then indeed, you must be leaf Genin."

The four froze as three large ninja suddenly appeared before them, apparently from some sort of transportation jutsu. They bore no signs of which village – if any – they were from, and Sakura immediately detected an appearance-changing jutsu on each of them. The jutsu gave each of the three a plain face, a face that had no real distinguishing qualities, so non-descript it could be forgotten in an instant, with brown eyes and short black hair. Each looked slightly different from the other, but not so much so that you could pick it out on each of them. A passer-by would easily assume they were all brothers, and probably leave it at that.

Naruto had already shifted into a stance that indicated he was ready to fight, and Shikamaru was weighing up their foes too. "Hinata," he whispered over his shoulder. "Use your Byakugan, and see what their chakra is like. Try not to get noticed."

Giving her captain a brief nod, Hinata shuffled a little to the side so that he obstructed her from their view, and closed her eyes. 'Just a little…' she cautioned herself. 'Don't spike your chakra… just a little… just enough to read them…'

A few seconds passed in near silence, broken by a soft growl from Naruto, before the girl gasped softly. "Shikamaru-kun!" she hissed urgently. "They're all strong enough to be Jounin level at least… maybe even ANBU…"

Naruto and Sakura both caught this too, and felt a simultaneous tightening in their chests. Soin had only been a Chuunin, and they'd seen in the Genin exam how dangerous even the lowest level of ninja could potentially be. Three Jounin could very possibly be too much for them.

"Damn… this is a troublesome situation…" Shikamaru grumbled. These three had an aura totally different to that of Soin – far less arrogant, and far colder and more focussed. They'd probably feel his Kage Mane even before he released it, and strike him down on the spot as he drew it back again just for fun.

"Now then…" the middle of the three – the one who'd spoken first – began. "We're looking for someone. None of you have an aura similar to him, so we will have no quarrel with allowing you to pass. However…"

The man gave each of the four a cool, calculating glance. "He is, or was previously, affiliated with the Leaf Village." The man's voice indicated he meant it could be either, rather than correcting himself. "Therefore, I'm sure you can see you four may be of some use to us."

Without so much as a word of command, all three simultaneously raised a hand, and a distinctly different sword materialised in each man's grasp. A cloaking genjutsu had just been lifted, Sakura deduced.

"Tell us why you're here, right now," a second man, the one to the left, instructed. "If we have no reason to doubt you, we'll leave you alive. If you lie to us…" As he paused, a cold, thin smile manifested on his lips. "We will have no choice but to assume you are our enemy."

All three moved into a fighting stance, ready to attack at a moment's notice. "Now talk."

* * *

Translations:

Sankyuu – Thank you (less formal than 'arigatou')

* * *

As always, please review, and feel free to tell me where I can improve! Also, fyi, the votes so far basically follow exactly what I was planning anyways (with a very good point from Gandhara, which I have taken into account), so thank you all – glad to see we're all on the same wavelength! 


	6. Shinko Town

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any characters mentioned therein. Writing for fun, and to share the Kishimoto-love.

As always, thank you all for your reviews! You all rawk my sawks!

* * *

"_Tell us why you're here, right now," the ninja to the left instructed. "If we have no reason to doubt you, we'll leave you alive. If you lie to us…" As he paused, a cold, thin smile manifested on his lips. "We will have no choice but to assume you are our enemy."_

_All three moved into a fighting stance, ready to attack at a moment's notice. "Now talk."_

* * *

'Well, this is a troublesome situation…' Shikamaru mused. The first thing he had to do was buy enough time to come up with a plan, and figure out as much about the enemy as he could. He couldn't just _tell_ the three ninja what they were doing, after all. 

"We're on a training mission," the Chuunin answered with a placating gesture. "We've been instructed to visit three towns, to-"

"Oh, come now," the middle ninja sneered, interrupting. "That lie isn't even worth killing you for. At least make an effort."

'They must have at least some idea of what we're doing, then' Shikamaru deduced. 'But apparently they don't have the full story. I'll have to make sure what I say matches what they possibly know, without giving any new information away.'

That left them in a difficult situation. He too had noticed the cloaking jutsu, and easily guessed that if they tried to dispel it, they'd be inviting an assault. The fact that this group felt it necessary to hide their appearances, despite their noticeable strength, implied that it was important that their identities were unknown during this encounter. They could have been missing-nin, on a mission they'd been hired for, or ninja from another village who shouldn't be in the Fire Country. Their story would be an easy enough bluff, after all, and they could be hoping he'd reveal something of interest to them when he told them about the mission his party was on.

Of course, in a worst-case scenario, they could be sound-nin, who not only intended to kill them anyway but would also be able to tell Orochimaru of Konoha's intent if he said too much. As far as the mission would be concerned, he would do just as well to hand over the dossier and hang himself – it'd be quicker at least.

But then, he'd never been good at doing things quickly. It took too much effort.

'Maybe they overheard us talking at some point earlier' Shikamaru pondered. 'But what would they know, and what can I spin from it?'

"Fine, fine," Shikamaru conceded. "I'll tell you."

"_N-Nani?"_ Naruto cried out. "Shikamaru, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to tell him, Naruto," the boy answered. "Tsunade-sama would rather a failed mission than four dead ninja, I'm sure."

Inwardly, Shikamaru had just started smiling. If he chose the right information, and played Naruto's reactions the right way, they might actually stand a chance of deceiving their inquisitors. 'Come on, Naruto' Shikamaru urged. 'Sakura said you're the number one loud, hyperactive, annoying ninja in the village. Don't let me down now.'

"_What the hell do you mean?"_ Naruto demanded. "Tsunade no baachan would never want us to just give away our mission like this!"

"My job as squad leader is first and foremost to keep everyone alive," Shikamaru returned with a level voice. "Fighting these guys doesn't fit into that category."

Naruto growled in frustration. "But we can't!" he insisted. "What about Sasuke? We're supposed to just walk away from him?"

'Crap… bringing up his name is further than I wanted to go…' Shikamaru fretted. The three ninja hadn't shown any reaction to it, though, so maybe they'd gotten away with it.

"Naruto!" Sakura snapped.

"These guys aren't like Soin," Shikamaru interrupted and cautioned Naruto, inwardly glad that the three again showed no reaction to his name-dropping. Of course, they could simply be good at hiding emotion, but he would just have to account for that possibility too. "They're in a whole other league to us – possibly even more powerful than Kakashi."

"The copy-ninja Kakashi?"

Shikamaru and Naruto both paused in their debate in surprise.

"It is true that we are more powerful," the third ninja – the one who until then hadn't spoken – acknowledged. "But if you are associated with him, we may be more inclined to allow you to pass."

Shikamaru frowned. Was that a bluff, or would it genuinely work in their favour?

"Now stop fighting, and start talking," the middle ninja instructed again, sounding almost bored. "You have one more chance. If you give us anything but the truth, your mission will end here."

Shikamaru sighed heavily. "The truth is…" he began, firing a warning look at Naruto. "As you may have guessed, we're looking for a friend."

Naruto made to interrupt again, but paused as he felt a hand lightly rest on his shoulder. Unnoticed, Hinata had drifted across from Shikamaru to Naruto's side, and was now trying to keep the boy calm. Despite the situation, there was still a pinkish tinge to her cheeks as she forced herself to speak up. "Please, Naruto-kun…" she implored him, making a visible effort to fight her shyness and fix her eyes on his, begging that he listened. "J… Just trust Shikamaru-kun…"

There was something about Hinata that got to Naruto. Hinata was normally so quiet and shy, but her resolve right now was enough to make her stand up and outright ask him to put his faith in Shikamaru, despite the fact that it would almost certainly cost them either their mission or their lives.

Come to think of it, she'd risked that much when she performed that sneak attack on Soin earlier, and when she'd stood up to Neji in the Chuunin exam – despite nearly getting killed, no-one would argue she'd made a bad choice then either.

Well, if she was that sure…

The boy sighed in defeat, before nodding, his trademark smile on his face once more. "Hai, Hinata…" he answered, his eyes softening momentarily as she smiled back in relief. Turning to face the dispute again, he watched their enemy carefully in case they made to attack, his eyes now totally focussed, but let Shikamaru say his piece.

"Sasuke was on his-" Shikamaru indicated Naruto here, "-and her-" Here, he nodded toward Sakura, "-team when we graduated from the academy. Kakashi was their Jounin instructor."

No reaction so far. Well, he hadn't gotten to a mission explanation yet, so they'd had no reason to – which was troublesome. Now was where his story had to work, for all their sakes.

"Approximately a month ago, he went missing – we are presuming he was kidnapped, since he is of the Uchiha bloodline."

For just a fraction of a second, one of the ninjas' eyebrows raised a minuscule distance. It was barely a subconscious twitch, but it was still a sign Shikamaru had hoped for. If they hadn't known Sasuke was from the Uchiha clan, then they probably didn't know all that much about their mission after all.

"ANBU have reported a sighting of his suspected kidnapper in the vicinity, but Sasuke wasn't with him. We've been sent out to scout and train, on the off chance we should find something too." Here, the Chuunin indicated each of his team in turn. "Sakura is among the best Genin in the village for detecting genjutsu, which we'd need in case he was hidden somewhere. Hinata's eyes are perfectly suited to detecting chakra presences, and Naruto is one of our more capable Genin fighters."

The boy gave the three ninja a wry smile. "And I'm their leader. Between us, we make a reasonable scouting force, wouldn't you agree?"

This was it, Shikamaru told himself. If they bought the story, they'd be away and free. If not…

It didn't bear thinking about.

An eternity seemed to pass in silence, before the middle of the three ninja began to walk forward. The light scuffing of his feet against the ground seemed inconceivably loud as he closed the distance between them, the sound almost hypnotic as he advanced step by infuriatingly slow step. Sakura could feel her heart hammering in her chest, and Hinata unconsciously gripped on to Naruto's sleeve as she shuffled closer to him, before catching herself and hesitantly releasing him again, determined to stand up to them on her own. Naruto's fist clenched by his side, his knuckles going white as he forcibly refrained from doing anything to provoke the ninja, and Shikamaru merely stood in silence, not backing down but not risking looking arrogant either.

After what might have been five seconds or five hours, the ninja stopped a metre from the opposing leader, before raising his sword so that the tip was at Shikamaru's throat. "You're a terrible liar, and if you're the best scouts Konoha has, they must be producing terrible ninja."

Shikamaru remained impassive, exhaling a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. He hadn't been struck down, which implied that this was a final bluff. They were strong enough to carry out the threat they'd made, but they hadn't. He was on the home stretch now.

"We're trying to locate a lost ninja, and that's as far as our mission goes," he replied carefully. "We aren't strong enough to overpower the person suspected of taking him. We just have to confirm the sighting, so that ANBU don't go on a wild goose chase."

The blade inched forward, the tip tucking under his voice box, and Shikamaru had to lean back a little to keep it from breaking the skin, stifling a worried choke. The ninja's eyes narrowed as he scrutinised the boy in front of him, before apparently coming to a decision.

Less than half a second later, all three ninja vanished from sight.

Not even a second after that, a kunai thudded into the dirt behind the Konoha squad.

All four spun round, seals poised and kunai drawn accordingly, and darted their eyes back and forth across the path as they tried to spot where the attack had come from. "Hinata, Byakugan!" Shikamaru called, half requesting and half ordering.

With a swift nod, the girl activated her family's bloodline technique and began to look round, peering ahead and behind the group, deep into the trees lining the path to ensure she missed nothing.

After 30 seconds, the veins around her eyes died down again. "I… I think they're gone…" she reported a little hesitantly.

Shikamaru frowned, before stepping forward to examine the kunai in the dirt.

It was blunt.

"Geez…" he murmured, before raising his voice again. "That was a warning," he informed the others. "They wanted us to know we didn't win."

"Huh?" Naruto frowned. "But you lied, and they let us go. They got it wrong, so-"

"Naruto," Shikamaru interrupted. "Here's a tip for you. When someone that powerful says they've won, and you haven't beaten them into the floor – you agree that they won."

Sighing heavily, suddenly feeling tired now that his body had stopped producing adrenaline for the time being, Shikamaru jammed his hands into his pockets and slouched forward, beginning along the path again. "Come on," he instructed. "If we get going, we can make Shinko town by sunset."

* * *

True to Shikamaru's prediction, the four ninja spotted a fairly small town in the distance just as the sun had crept halfway below the horizon, casting a fiery red light across the field that lay between them and their destination. Encompassing the town, there lay vast open tracts of land, some areas clearly farmland and others left to pasture. The last few flowers of the season swayed gently in the breeze that crossed the open space, and somewhere in the distance the whinny of horses in a stable could be heard. 

Sakura managed to sum up in a single word what everyone else was thinking as they surveyed the scene before them. "Wow…"

Wordlessly, they continued following the path, somehow afraid to break the tranquillity by speaking or even breathing too loudly. The soft sound of their feet scuffing in the dirt, or the occasional rustle of a tuft of grass being crushed underfoot, were the only noises the group made. Even in Konoha, tranquil moments like this were few and far between, and they appreciated it all the more given the contrast it struck with the leg of their journey they'd just completed. Once again, each ninja was at peace with their respective thoughts, and despite being tired after the day's long trek, they somehow felt more relaxed than they had in a long time.

"I guess the town's not so calm," Shikamaru remarked aloud as a distant sound of hustle and bustle eventually reached them, the population of the settlement still awake and busy even as the daylight hours drew to a close. "The dossier said it's mostly a market town, though in summer months they get tourists too. That season's almost over now."

The party came to a standstill as they reached what appeared to be the entrance to the town. There were no guards or gates to speak of, or even a fence surrounding it. The path simply stopped between two large boulders, leading onto a cobbled stone walkway that soon became what Shikamaru assumed would be the market square. Beside each boulder, there was another equally large rock about four metres away, and another every four metres beyond that, apparently marking the town's boundary.

After a moment's hesitation, making sure that they weren't about to be greeted by an official of some sort, the four Konoha ninja began on their way again, glancing around the town as they reached the large square. A multitude of vacant stalls bordered it, the owners having packed up for the night, but the buildings beyond them were still thrumming with activity. There were several bars in sight, each with a drunken patron slumped against the outside of the front wall, and a pachinko parlour was visible on the far side of the square. Dotted about the area were a few pricey-looking inns, and a single restaurant sat inconspicuously in one corner, one of the waiters packing up the outside tables for the evening.

"Well, let's start looking," Shikamaru sighed. "If we want an inn tonight, we'd better get booked in before they stop taking reservations for the day."

* * *

"_How much?"_

Naruto gaped in horror at the clerk behind the desk. "That's even more expensive than the last place! We can't afford that!"

The man at reception looked Naruto up and down snootily, disdain evident on his face as he eyed the boy's dirtied and rumpled clothes. "I should think not," he sniffed derisively. "Perhaps the inns in the cheaper part of town would be more to your… standards…" The last word was laced with distaste, as if even acknowledging Naruto had any standards to speak of pained him.

The blonde boy glared at the man behind the desk, half-tempted to beat some respect into him, before turning away with a snort. He wished he could come up with a witty reply, but since that failed, he opted for the other form of retort he'd grown accustomed to – not stooping to your foe's level. Keeping his head held high, Naruto strode confidently out of the building, making sure to brush some mud off his jacket while he was stood on the welcome mat, earning a cry of protest from the stuck-up receptionist.

"No good, guys," he informed the others glumly as he rejoined them in the street. "We wouldn't have a chance of staying in any of these places."

"Geez, that's troublesome…" Shikamaru grumbled. Turning to look across to the other side of the square, he pointed out a building to the others. "It would've been so convenient too."

As the other three ninja followed the direction Shikamaru indicated, recognition flitted across their faces. "'Okitaki Bar'," Sakura read out loud. "That's what was on Soin's receipt, right?"

"Exactly," Shikamaru sighed. "One of these hotels would've been perfect – we could've watched to see when they opened, and gone down to question them in peace." As if confirming that now wasn't a good time, an uproar kicked off in one corner of the bar between two drunkards. If what the group could catch was any indication, they'd mixed up each other's sake bottles.

"So… does this mean we have to camp outside?" Hinata enquired, looking a little disappointed. She, like the rest of the group, had been looking forward to a soft bed and a warm shower.

Shikamaru was about to reply that it seemed so, when Naruto cut in abruptly. "The jerk in that place-" The boy nodded over his shoulder to the inn he'd just left, "-mentioned something about a cheaper district that we might be able to afford."

Apprehensive glances were shared between the group, before Shikamaru came to a decision. "Well, there's no harm in looking, I suppose," he admitted. "As long as it's clean and worth the money, we can still stay there. It's not like we stand to lose anything, right?"

The others nodded their agreement to this plan, and turned to begin their journey. Unfortunately, each turned to face a different direction, and an awkward pause followed. "Ano… Shikamaru-kun?" Hinata called softly. "Do we know where to go?"

The Chuunin grinned at this question. "There was a map of this town in the dossier," he informed the girl, leaving his team to assume this meant he'd memorised it. Closing his eyes for a moment, picturing the image in his head, he eventually pointed to a small side-road that none of the others had even noticed. "That's the quickest way."

* * *

After wandering a few streets in what was indisputably the 'cheaper' part of town, as the clerk had put it, the four Konoha ninja came to a stop outside a particular building. The only thing that set it apart from some of the others surrounding it was that it was a little larger, and somewhat less dilapidated. A couple of the other houses were so far beyond repair that they'd been boarded up, but this structure at least looked sturdy, and the paint job on the walls was fairly new. Upon closer inspection, they noticed a faded wooden sign was nailed to the front door. 

"'Inn'…" Naruto read to the others. "This place doesn't even have a proper name?"

Shikamaru shrugged this observation off. "If there aren't any rats, the name doesn't matter," he informed the blonde boy, who softly nodded his agreement. "I guess we just knock."

Right on cue, before the ninja had even raised his hand to the door, there came a shuffling sound from the other side. "I'll be right there!" an old, rather frail-sounding voice called from the other side. "Just a second!"

There came a jingling of keys, followed by the sound of a lock being released, and the door swung open to reveal an elderly lady peering at the four. She was shorter than all of them by at least four inches, and had a pair of glasses perched on her nose, through which two clouded brown eyes examined the youths on her doorstep. "Can I help you?"

Shikamaru began to reply to the old lady, but Naruto again cut him off. Somehow, he'd taken an instant shine to the old woman, and if the toothy grin she gave him was anything to go by, she'd had the same reaction. "Ne, baachan!" he called, grabbing her attention. "This is an inn, right? Have you got two rooms for us?"

A soft, pleased chortle came from the old woman as she turned round, beckoning for the group to enter. "Yes, yes, come in!" she called, the bun she'd pulled her greying hair into bobbing up and down as she walked. "There's a few waiting for you, since we don't have too many guests at the moment."

Relief washed over the four at these words, and they followed with a newfound enthusiasm. A half-empty, cheap inn with a friendly owner? It was almost too convenient for words!

"Ne, baachan," Naruto began again.

"Oh, just call me Risa," the owner chided him, her eyes a little more alive now as Naruto's infectious grin cheered her up even more.

"Baachan," Naruto insisted with his usual playful smile, earning another chortle from the woman. "How much will it cost us to stay here?"

"Hmm…" Risa murmured softly, pulling out a book from under the counter she'd stepped behind as Naruto spoke. "Two rooms, two in each room…" Her wrinkled finger traced down the page as she mused, before tapping at what she'd been looking for. "I suppose you'll all want breakfast with it?" she enquired, glancing up.

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Of course!" he cried enthusiastically. "You can make ramen, right?"

Risa chuckled at this, leaning forward to pinch one of Naruto's cheeks. Had she done this to any of the other three, they'd have suffered it with quiet indignation, but Risa's gesture utterly delighted Naruto. After all those years without a family, she was treating him as if he were a grandchild of her own! "Well, it's not _usually_ on the menu," she admitted slyly. "But such a strapping young man needs to eat what he likes, I've always thought."

If there hadn't been a counter in the way, Naruto would have swept Risa into an elated hug. As it was, he dropped his pack on the floor and tugged his wallet out so quickly, several other items spilled out with it. "One week!" he declared. "All four of us, with breakfast, for one week! I'll pay! How much is it?"

The old lady smiled, writing a figure on a piece of paper and handing it to Naruto, who immediately began to regret his enthusiasm. "Gah…" he groaned. "That's almost everything I have…"

"Well, that's settled then!" Sakura chimed in happily, not about to let her teammate go back on his word. "That was so generous of you, Naruto! We'll be sure to make it up to you, won't we Hinata?"

"A-… Ano… hai!" the girl stuttered out, torn between a whirlwind of emotions. She was happy to see Naruto so delighted, but a little jealous that it was Risa that currently held his affections. Of course, there was also the customary embarrassment that came whenever Naruto was mentioned, but her usual trick of staring at the floor and prodding her fingers together prevented this from flaring up too badly.

Sighing in defeat, Naruto handed over the money to pay the bill, eyeing Froggie glumly as he placed the rather drastically deflated wallet back into his pack. "He's so much cuter when he's full…"

"Well then," Risa smiled brightly, fishing two sets of keys down from a row of hooks behind her. "Let's show you to your rooms, shall we?"

* * *

Translations: 

Pachinko – A Pachinko parlour is a place of legalised gambling  
Sake – Generic term for alcohol, most commonly a type of rice wine

* * *

As always, reviews will make me a very happy Bazu, and constructive criticism, helping me write better, will surely make you even happier readers. So let's help each other, hmm? 


	7. What do you see?

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any characters mentioned therein. Writing for fun, and to share the Kishimoto-love.

Special thanks to all… two people who reviewed the last chapter… Hopefully I'll get a better response to this one! (And I apologise for this one seemingly being filler – I'm setting the scene and mood for the next few chapters with this, so it's a necessary filler!)

Also, apologies again for the delay with this chapter. Just about everything that could delay it has done so, and one of my betas are getting snowed under with schoolwork too – and I'd rather she did that before these chapters. Schoolwork and grades affect the rest of her life, after all – this fic is just for fun. If you don't like that… well, what can I say?

* * *

"Here we are," Risa stated brightly, stopping outside a room and handing a set of keys to Shikamaru. "You've got rooms next to each other, and the windows face south, so the sunrise won't bother you. If you need a wake-up call, feel free to let me know." 

Risa handed the second set of keys to Sakura as Shikamaru unlocked his door, indicating the room they gave access to before bowing to the four ninja and hurrying off downstairs again. Her cheerful manner was quite refreshing for the group after their journey, but they still couldn't help feeling a little tired after what they'd gone through that day.

"Well, I'm calling it a night," Shikamaru stated, stretching one arm in the air as he yawned. "We don't know how busy we might be tomorrow, so we'd be better off getting a good night's rest."

The two girls nodded in agreement to this, Hinata bringing one hand up to cover her mouth politely as she yawned too, and Naruto gave a vague grunt of affirmation. He had been hoping to go and look round the town for a little while, but it wouldn't be as much fun if he went alone.

"Well, goodnight you two," Sakura murmured as she opened the door to her and Hinata's room. "Sleep well."

The two gave her a little wave in reply, and Hinata bowed a little, a blush on her cheeks. "G-goodnight, Naruto-kun," she said softly, her eyes a little hopeful as she glanced up at him.

The boy grinned widely. "Goodnight, Hinata-chan," he bid her, before stepping through into his room. "Oh, and sweet dreams!" he called out the door. "Sakura-chan too!"

Shikamaru could have sworn he saw Hinata go starry-eyed as she drifted into her room, and sighed heavily as he moved to retire to his chambers too. Only Naruto could have such a profound effect as to make the shy Hyuuga girl forget her manners.

"Oh!"

The squeak of dismay that came from the girls' room made Shikamaru pause, and barely a second later Hinata's face appeared from her room. "Gomen! Goodnight, Shikamaru-kun!" the girl blurted out with a deep bow, horrified that she'd overlooked the boy.

The chuunin winced a little, half-expecting Hinata to bang her head against the doorframe, before smiling as she stood without injury. "Yeah… goodnight Hinata," he replied, at least having the courtesy to not sound like answering was troublesome. "Sleep well."

* * *

"Wow… these rooms are kinda cool…" Naruto observed as he set his pack down. "They've got all the stuff we need." 

"Yeah…" Shikamaru replied somewhat indifferently.

Truth told, Shikamaru wasn't as impressed as Naruto, but when he acknowledged the price they'd paid, he supposed they were more than reasonable. There were two futon in the room, a set of drawers and a cupboard to one side – not that they particularly needed them – and a sink tucked away in one corner. There was also a small, somewhat cramped shower set into the wall, but no toilet in sight. Shikamaru assumed that there'd be a communal bathroom at the end of the hallway.

A low, impressed sound came from Naruto as he drew a set of floor-length curtains back, and even Shikamaru couldn't help a quirked eyebrow. Apparently, they'd been given the two best rooms in the inn – he didn't suppose even for a second that all of the others had a small balcony at the back of the room.

"Suki…" Naruto breathed as he opened the door and set foot outside. The view wasn't the most spectacular – a lot of the surrounding countryside was obscured by the buildings in the 'richer' segment of town – but when he leaned forward over the railings that bordered the balcony to look round the side of the inn, he could see the forest they'd journeyed through to get there, and swore that he could even make out the mountains that he saw every day from Konoha in the distance.

"Ne, Shikamaru!" he called brightly, turning to point them out to the Chuunin. "Look at-"

The boy stopped and frowned as he saw his party's leader had already settled down in his futon, and was apparently asleep. "Bah… lazy…" Naruto grumbled, before returning to the room and closing the door behind him. Might as well sleep, then, if there was no-one for him to sit and talk to.

* * *

"Ne, Hinata…" 

"Mm? Nani, Sakura-chan?"

The two girls had both showered and changed for bed, and now each was laying in her futon, enjoying the feeling of the soft, fresh sheets and the scent of the detergent Risa had used. Hinata couldn't quite decide if it was vanilla or magnolia, but it was relaxing regardless, and she found few things to feel better than a freshly made bed.

"I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but… what _do_ you see in Naruto?"

Hinata looked taken aback at this question, and nervously pressed her fingertips together under her sheets. "W-well…" she began, a timid smile coming to her lips as her cheeks took on a soft tinge. "He's just…"

"Loud?" Sakura supplied helpfully, a playful smile on her face as she propped herself up on one elbow. "They do say opposites attract, you know."

Hinata nodded at this. "That's true…" she murmured, before realising what it sounded like she meant. "Not that he's loud!" she added in a rush. "Well… he is, but…"

Sakura couldn't help her smile widening. Whatever it was, it had Hinata flustered badly.

"Ano… It's… it's just _him,"_ Hinata finally decided. "He's had so much pain in his life, but he never wants sympathy. People always look down on him, but he just smiles back. He makes lots of mistakes, but he learns… he's a proud failure, because when he does things wrong, he knows he gave it his best. He's so determined, and brave… but it's never for himself. He always gives his all for someone else, even if it means he's putting his life on the line."

The Hyuuga girl smiled fondly. "He'd give his life for anyone in the village, no matter what they do to him, just because that's who he is. That's the kind of person I want to be… and to be with…" she added with a soft sigh. "His eyes are what attracted me first… They're so beautiful, but with so much pain underneath. I wish…"

The girl swallowed a little. "I wish I could be the one to take that pain away…"

The smile on Sakura's face had dropped by the time Hinata had rolled over to see what the girl thought, replaced by a look of awe. "That's the most I've ever heard you say," Sakura observed quietly. "But everything you said was right…"

The pink-haired kunoichi mulled over this answer for a few seconds, repeating Hinata's words in her mind. Thinking back, she'd experienced it all first hand – Naruto throwing everything he had at Gaara to defeat him; Naruto risking his life to save her when they and Jiraiya went to the sound village; Naruto fighting all but to the death to try to bring Sasuke back…

She'd always complained that he was loud and annoying, and had written him off as a loser back in the academy. There was so much more to him than she'd seen, she realised now – more than anyone else had seen, in fact. Hinata was the only person who had really looked at Naruto for who he truly was. She might have had the Byakugan to aid her in a fight, but…

"No special eyes can help you see something like that…" she murmured softly.

"…nani?"

"Oh, nothing!" Sakura returned cheerfully. "I was just thinking!"

Hinata nodded acknowledgement of this with a small smile, and after faltering for a moment, she forced herself to ask a question that often weighed on her mind. "Sakura-chan…" she murmured softly, sounding a little hesitant. "I… I know that Naruto-kun likes you… are you interested in him too?"

"Hinata," Sakura began with a knowing smile. "Believe me. I've spoken to all the girls in the village about who they like, and I can promise you one thing – Naruto is all yours."

Hinata perked up noticeably at this statement, optimism shining in her eyes again, before she faltered once more. "Ano… d-does he like me, though?" she asked quietly, the question directed as much toward herself as Sakura.

A contemplative silence fell over the two. "I think," Sakura began. "He has a lot of admiration for you, especially after your fight with Neji. He got really worried when he thought you'd disappeared too, so he obviously cares about you in at least some way." The girl's emerald eyes closed in thought as she lay down on her back again, linking her fingers and resting her hands behind her head.

Sakura knew that she was getting caught up in the moment, enjoying her chance to possibly play matchmaker, but in the back of her mind, a voice insisted that she was right – under the weight of good intentions, she was beginning to convince herself even without firm proof. "He's never said anything to me about liking you like that," she admitted with a soft puff. "But then, I don't think he'd realise he did until it was pointed out to him anyway."

"A-ano…"

Hinata fumbled for her words, smiling to herself as she felt her cheeks warm up again. "H-he did say something like that to me, once…" she began. "Well, not that he liked _me,_ but…"

Amid much blushing, stuttering and prodding together of fingers, Hinata relayed to Sakura what had happened on the day of the Chuunin exams, when Naruto had met her at their old training ground. She recalled what she had said, and the look on Naruto's face. She recalled his questions, his doubts, and the way he'd brightened up so much after she'd poured her heart out to him. Most importantly, she recalled what he'd said to her as he left.

* * *

"_You know something? I like people like you."_

* * *

Hinata tried to suppress a small, happy squeak as she repeated those words out loud for the first time, but failed miserably. With a little hint of excitement in her voice, though it was carefully balanced with heavy caution too, Hinata propped herself up so she could look at Sakura properly. "What do you think, Sakura-chan?" 

After a moment had passed, Sakura felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, though she forcibly kept it at bay in case Hinata noticed. Perhaps there was something she could do to help them out.

"Who knows…?"

* * *

"Ohayo, baachan!" 

Risa smiled as the enthusiastic blonde youth's singsong voice floated down the hall. She glanced at her watch, surprised to see it was still only nine o' clock in the morning, and chuckled softly. "Polite _and_ early risers," she murmured. "My, their parents have done a good job with them."

Naruto soon skidded into the dining area, trailed by his three teammates, and hopped into a seat at one of the tables. His initial instinct was to call his order out from where he sat, but Sakura swiftly cut him off with a warning glare, which the Genin returned with equal venom.

Shikamaru ambled across to the nearest seat, the one opposite Naruto, and slouched down in it with a soft groan. At least he wouldn't have to put up with his mother nagging him about manners for this meal, he decided with a yawn. She was so troublesome sometimes…

Hinata, meanwhile, eyed the two chairs that remained somewhat nervously, her hands fisting in her jacket pockets. Should she take the one next to Naruto-kun? It would be nice, sitting beside him for breakfast, but…

Swallowing, Hinata began hesitantly toward the seat on the far side of Naruto, before pausing again, contemplating veering toward Shikamaru. 'I can't…' her mind whispered frantically. 'I can't… I'll…'

The girl's dilemma was soon resolved, though, as Sakura brushed past her toward the seat beside their Chuunin leader, giving her a little nudge toward Naruto as she went – not enough to even put Hinata off balance, but just enough to let her know that Sakura _insisted_ she take that seat. Catching her breath in her throat, the Hyuuga girl began moving again, shuffling round Naruto and slipping into her seat with her head bowed, watched curiously by the blonde boy as she hunched her shoulders up a little nervously.

"Ne, Hinata," he called, frowning a little as she gulped and ducked her head lower. He could swear the hair hanging beside her cheeks looked a little… well, like it had a reddish tint. "It's okay, you know," he smiled, patting her lightly on the back. "I don't mind you sitting there."

The girl stiffened a little at his touch, before forcing herself to sit up and relax, turning to face Naruto with what she hoped passed as a relieved smile. "H-hai… Arigatou, Naruto-kun."

A soft chuckle from Risa caught Naruto's attention, and the old lady gave him a sly wink as he turned to look at her. This was met merely with a blank gaze, Naruto not at all sure what she was getting at, and Risa shook her head with a small smile, unable to believe the blonde boy hadn't noticed his companion's reaction to sitting beside him.

"So, what's for breakfast then?" she asked the group brightly, pulling a notepad and a pencil from the apron she wore. "There's no set menu, but we've got all the usual things you'd expect, and a couple more besides."

"Ramen!" Naruto called enthusiastically. "Ramen! With-!"

"Ah, let's see if I can guess…" Risa interrupted, tapping the end of the pencil against her pursed lips thoughtfully. "I think a boy like you would go for… pork and miso?"

The blonde gave Risa a wide grin at this, before laughing a little as he nodded. "Hai! You already know me too well, baachan!"

"Oh, one of my boys used to be just like you," the lady remarked with a smile as she jotted Naruto's order on her pad. "And how about the rest of you?"

* * *

Before long, the dining room was filled with the sound of four youths tucking heartily into their meals, the clink of chopsticks and cutlery against plates and bowls interspersed with conversation and the occasional loud slurping of noodles. 

"Ne, Sh'kam'ru," Naruto mumbled around his ramen, spotting Sakura's disapproving glare at his bad manners and moving his leg just in time to avoid a sharp kick. "What're we doing after we go to the bar?"

"We need to find out whether or not they recognise Soin," the Chuunin answered. "After that, we'll have to see. If they can tell us anything useful, we might even head out this evening – and no, we're not getting your money back," he added as a look of indignation came across Naruto's face. "You're the one who booked longer than we should need without asking us."

The blonde tried to object to this, but accidentally swallowed his ramen at the same time as he drew his breath to complain, resulting in a harsh choking fit. The boy turned side-on in his chair and began hitting himself on the chest to try to alleviate the problem, leaving Shikamaru to carry on his explanation as a rather panicked Hinata began slapping Naruto on the back with a softly squeaked, "Ah! Naruto-kun!"

"Anyway," the Chuunin sighed. "If they can give us a clue, we'll work from it as best we can. If not, we'll have to go around town and try to find out anything of use at all. I doubt he'd just stop at the bar and move on, so someone somewhere must have some information for us."

Sakura nodded her agreement of this proposal, before sighing as she noticed Naruto still hadn't recovered from his choking. "Oh, for goodness' sake," the girl scolded, before grabbing a glass and pouring Naruto some water from a jug on their table. "Just drink this."

* * *

Once the four ninja had eaten, showered and dressed, they left the inn and began on their way back into the town's main square, in the hope of getting to the Okitaki bar early and avoiding a crowd. It appeared, however, that every other person in the town had set out with basically the same idea. 

"_What the hell?"_

The sentiment behind Naruto's exclamation was shared by the three other Konoha ninja as they took in the bustling crowd that already filled the square. Men and women roved back and forth between the masses of stalls, children ran between adults as they played together, sightseers busied themselves with souvenirs and games, and there was even a man leading several horses through the crowd, presumably either selling them or taking them out to the pastures.

"And this is with the tourist season dying out…" Shikamaru muttered dryly. "Geez, this is troublesome…"

With a sigh, the Chuunin began to lead his team through the crowd, trying to dodge through gaps and small clear areas where he could. It was impossible to avoid the throng entirely, though, and the group found themselves getting jostled this way and that frequently. Children, not watching where they were going, often came close to colliding with the group, and the ninja's efforts to avoid them resulted in them getting elbowed awkwardly by other people more than once.

"M-maybe it's market day today," Hinata suggested as she spotted a man wheeling a cart of fruit through the crowd.

"That'd explain a lot," Sakura agreed, hissing under her breath as someone's bag slammed into her shin. "Damn it, there'd better not be much further to go!"

After what felt like an eternity, the group finally emerged on the other side of the piazza, each member nursing a new set of bruises. Giving each other a look that showed their disbelief at the crowd's mentality, they walked a little further along until they came to the Okitaki bar.

Much to the team's relief, when they found their goal there wasn't as great a crowd as there had been in the square, and they were easily able to make their way to the bar and attract one of the staff's attention.

"We don't serve kids," the man warned the group as he approached them, eyeing them all sceptically. "It's the manager's policy to not let anyone under 21 in."

"It's okay, we'll be going soon," Shikamaru assured him, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "We're just looking for someone, and we know he came by here recently. We were wondering if you could help."

"Lots of people have come here recently," the man countered. "I don't make a point of remembering faces, you know. Unless he had any distinct marks, you're out of luck."

The tone of the man's voice indicated he thought the four in front of him were wasting their time, and Shikamaru couldn't help a small tut of annoyance. 'So he's already decided he won't recognise him.'

"Sakura," Shikamaru called, turning to the girl. "You're probably the best at Henge among us. Did you get a good look at him?"

The pink-haired girl paused a moment, frowning in thought, before nodding. "I can remember enough," she confirmed, bringing her hands together to form the necessary seal. "Henge!"

A puff of smoke filled the air, and when it cleared an almost exact replication of Soin stood among the Konoha ninja, an arrogant look on his face as Sakura tried to mimic him as best she remembered. The man at the bar made a noise of approval at Sakura's technique, and his demeanour immediately became a little friendlier toward the group. "To be honest," he admitted, "I've been away for the last week, and only got back last night, so I can't help. She-" He nodded toward his partner for the day, "-may have been on duty when he came here though. One moment, please."

The man waved his companion over, and they began talking in hushed voices, both occasionally glancing toward Sakura and gesticulating. Shikamaru strained to listen, but could only catch a few snatched words that were meaningless on their own.

Eventually, the barman returned to the group, leaning on the counter as he relayed the conversation to them. "He came here last Wednesday, but she only saw him for a couple of moments, between looking after the customers at the tables. The manager, who was covering for me, served him, but he's not around at the moment – something about a business trip," he added, as if this held an iota of importance to the group. "He should be back in two days, but until then we can't offer you any more help."

For the second time, Shikamaru tutted in annoyance, before nodding toward the barkeep as Sakura released her jutsu. "Thank you," he replied. "We'll come back then, and talk to the manager. Please let him know we'll be by."

As the barkeep nodded his agreement, the group turned to leave, Hinata pausing to bow in gratitude to the man who'd helped them. "Arigatou," she uttered softly, almost whispering, before turning to catch up to the others.

"Geez… that's troublesome…" Shikamaru grumbled as they left the building. "I guess that means we've got two days to relax and see if we can find anything else out though," he added. "So we can go enjoy ourselves, I guess."

"Yatta!" Naruto cheered, immediately grabbing Sakura and Hinata by the wrist. "Let's go look around!"

Not waiting for an answer, Naruto dragged them both off into the crowd, Hinata's cheeks flaring brightly even before she was out of Shikamaru's sight. The Chuunin rolled his eyes at Naruto's reaction, before glancing either side of him as he searched for a landmark he might recognise.

He was _sure_ the map he'd studied said something about a Shogi parlour…

* * *

Translations: 

Futon – Japanese-style bedding  
Suki – I like it (literally 'to like')  
Ohayo – Good morning  
Shogi – Japanese chess

* * *

Please review! (And fear not – despite what it may seem, this isn't going to turn into a sudden 'ZOMGZILOVEJ00!111!1!' thing. I'd rather not fall into that cliché!) 


	8. Ramen and Plushies

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any characters mentioned therein. Writing for fun, and to share the Kishimoto-love.

* * *

'Shinko Shogi…'

Shikamaru's expression was nonchalant as he read the sign. He supposed it was fitting for a tourist town – not humble enough to just say 'Shogi', but not able to put in enough effort to supply a more unique or appealing name either. Somehow, it was just… tacky.

Mentally shrugging this observation off, Shikamaru walked up the steps leading into the building and pushed the door open. The sign didn't necessarily reflect on the patrons, after all, and it'd be stupid of him to conjure up an impression of them in his mind before he'd even set foot inside.

"Well, what have we here?" a condescending voice intoned.

Shikamaru sighed softly, turning to face the man who'd just addressed him with an inquisitive look. He would have supplied any one of the four smart replies that had already come to mind, but that would have required far more effort than the situation warranted. Instead, he just shrugged a little and informed him, "I've come to play Shogi."

"Hey, he's another one of those ninja guys!"

The Chuunin turned his attention to the source of the second voice, eyeing a short, fat, balding man who sat at a Shogi board, chuckling away to himself. "Yeah. Congratulations," he replied in a bored tone. "But like I said, I've come to play Shogi."

"What d'ya think?" the first man – who was tall and lanky, a direct contrast to the one Shikamaru had already dubbed 'short-and-bald' – asked with a sneer. "This one's probably as bad as the last one who came in. It wouldn't even be worth our time."

So he _had_ heard correctly the first time, Shikamaru deduced. The 'other ninja' they kept referring to sounded like he'd been in recently, in which case it was quite likely they were talking about Soin. Somehow, Shikamaru just couldn't picture someone so arrogant and conceited, who was unable to even carry out an ambush without leaving a clue to his whereabouts, even being interested in Shogi, never mind playing it well. His thought patterns were far too short-term and aggressive anyway – he wouldn't last ten minutes against a worthwhile opponent.

"Actually, I'm one of the best in my village," Shikamaru informed tall-and-lanky in his usual expressionless tone. "I was hoping someone out here might be able to challenge me."

A small smirk came to short-and-bald's podgy lips. "One of the best eh? Come on over, and I'll test what you're made of."

Slipping his sandals off, Shikamaru accepted this invitation wordlessly, ambling across to where his foe sat and taking a seat opposite him, reaching for the tiles the Shogi parlour supplied. "I'm also interested in the ninja you mentioned," he told the man as he began to settle into the right mindset for the contest. "Would you share any information on him if I beat you?"

"A wager?" short-and-bald snorted. "Kid, I'll tell you it for free after the game. But since you want a wager on the match…"

A chubby hand snaked halfway across the Shogi board as short-and-bald leaned forward, a greedy sparkle in his eye. "How about a _real_ wager?"

Shikamaru didn't react to the affirmative or negative at first, merely setting a calculating gaze on his opponent. "Like what?" he eventually asked.

"How much money have you got on you?"

* * *

"Aren't you done yet Naruto?" a voice called in exasperation.

"Nearly!" the blonde called in reply, waving to Sakura from the branch he stood on. "I'll be down soon!"

Rather than shoving through the crowds again, Naruto had decided to plan out their route around the stalls in advance, ensuring they could skip as many of the dull ones as they could. This, of course, required being able to _see_ the stalls, which meant an aerial advantage was required – which was where the tree-climbing exercise Kakashi had taught them came in handy.

"Suki…" Naruto finally concluded, allowing himself one more quick look round all the stalls. "Guys, you should really come up and see this too. There's some really cool stuff down there!"

Hinata turned to her fellow kunoichi, silently asking whether they should go up or whether Sakura would order him down. The pink-haired girl gave her a silent nod, before leaping up onto the first branch of the tree, glancing up to see how high Naruto was. If her guess was right, Naruto's plan would consist of food and games anyway, and she was sure there was more to the stalls than that.

The two female ninja soon arrived by Naruto, Hinata on a branch below his and Sakura on one slightly higher, and both began intently scanning the area, reading the signs on each stall and examining what they could of the goods to see what caught their fancy.

Sakura was somewhat surprised Naruto had even come up with this plan. It seemed a little too logical and well thought-out by his standards – he'd even picked what she guessed was the best tree to view all the stalls from. Maybe he had learnt something useful from his time with that perverted hermit after all.

"See, I thought we could start there," Naruto stated, pointing to one corner. "Then, if we go two stalls along, we can stop off there, and then come down here…"

Sakura and Hinata both spotted the stalls Naruto was thinking about visiting immediately. Ramen. Ball-throwing game. Goldfish-catching game. Skip past the vegetables, the flowers, the books…

"And then I thought we could go over­–"

"Wait a minute," Sakura interrupted. "I'll want to visit that one."

Naruto followed her gaze, and squinted at the sign. "Plushies…" he read, his nose crinkling in a little distaste. "Why do you want a plushie?"

"It's not for me," Sakura informed him. "It's for 'kaasan. We hardly ever get to buy souvenirs when we're away on missions, and she used to collect them when she was younger."

Sakura turned to Hinata. "Wouldn't Hanabi like one too?"

The girl looked a little put out. "Ano… Hanabi isn't really interested in anything like that…" she admitted. Truth told, she had been hoping she'd find one for herself, or perhaps even one that Naruto might like, on the off chance she'd be brave enough to give it to him, but answering that question honestly had just blown any cover she might have had.

"Demo…" she finally uttered. "I would like to go there," she decided, pointing out a small jewellery stall. "Otousan attends a lot of formal meetings, and he says that as a Hyuuga I should be able to dress for such an occasion too. Maybe a nice necklace would help…"

The girl's eyes suddenly widened. "Th-that is, if you two don't mind!" she blustered. "I-I mean, I can get one another time!"

"Hinata," Sakura chastised with a smile. "It's okay – we're on free time now, right? If you see a stall you like, we can go to it. Like…" Sakura gazed around again. "That one," she decided, pointing to a grocery stall.

"_Nani?" _Naruto exclaimed. "But that stall's boring!"

"You can't get shiitake in Konoha at this time of year," Sakura replied firmly. "This might be my last chance to get some."

Between them, the two girls eventually managed to double the length of the path Naruto had decided on, much to his chagrin. The blonde boy also guessed, with a heavy sigh, that they'd have to double back between at least a couple of stalls when one of them – most likely Sakura – changed her mind about something. He'd learnt from the other guys' complaints back in Konoha that women weren't the easiest of people to go shopping with.

* * *

"Heh… not bad kid…" short-and-bald admitted, eyeing the pieces on the Shogi board. "But you left _this_ open," he added as he set a piece down.

Short-and-bald sat back with a triumphant smile on his face, folding his arms as he awaited Shikamaru's dejected groan of defeat and declaration that he wished to resign. Three more moves was all it would take, short of some incredibly high-level play.

"True," the Chuunin agreed. "I did leave it open. But by playing that piece there…" Shikamaru took a tile between his fingers. "You left _this_ area significantly weaker."

A soft 'clack' issued as Shikamaru set the tile down, a wry smile on his face. Short-and-bald could continue with his earlier plan by all means, but if he were half the player Shikamaru guessed he was, he'd realise that Shikamaru's counter-offensive was where the attention was really needed.

"Hey, how's the ninja doing?" tall-and-lanky called across the room to his friend. "Haven't you beaten him yet?"

The silence that followed this question, coupled with the look on short-and-bald's face, was answer enough.

* * *

Naruto eyed his wallet glumly as the group moved onto the seventh stall of the day. "Geez, to think I blew all that money on those rooms at baachan's place…" he lamented. "I've only just got enough to do everything once today. I can't even get a second helping at that ramen place, and it was so good!"

The two girls looked at each other a little guiltily. They'd gone to the vegetable stall, located beside the ramen hut, while Naruto had eaten, so they hadn't seen just how empty his wallet was. Perhaps it hadn't been fair of them to make him foot the bill on his own…

"A-ano… Naruto-kun…" Hinata mustered up, pulling her own purse out from her jacket. "Uh-uh-uhm… If you want, y-you can…"

"Hmm?"

The boy stopped mid-stride, turning to look at the violet-haired girl, whose face had gone a peculiar shade of red as she fumbled with her purse. "Daijoubu, Hinata?"

"H-hai…" the girl returned weakly, her fingers trembling as she began to count out the notes in her purse. "D-demo… if you want…"

Naruto frowned a little, waiting expectantly.

"I-If you want…"

"Nani, Hinata?"

Naruto tilted his head a little in confusion, and Hinata could swear her throat had closed up. Seeing Naruto with his head cocked was almost as cute as when he was asleep (a memory which did no favours to Hinata's blush), and she suddenly found herself unable to talk and struggling to breathe. Tightly closing her fingers round the notes currently in her hand, not caring how much was there, Hinata thrust her fist forward with the money clenched in it. "R… Ramen!" she squeaked quietly.

A moment's silence passed between the two as Naruto stared at the money, apparently weighing something up in his mind, before he gingerly reached out with one hand and took it from the girl. "…are you sure?" he returned almost equally as softly. "I mean, this is your money…"

Hinata nodded vigorously in assent, her eyes closed tightly as she willed her burning blush away. "Y-… you did pay for the rooms, after all… Naruto-kun…"

The blonde's eyes lit up at this, and a wide smile spread across his face. "Sankyuu, Hinata!" he chirped brightly. "Geez, you're so cool… na?"

Naruto paused as he eyed the money in his hand, counting it up. "There's exactly enough for two here…" he observed quietly. "Did you want some too, Hinata? I didn't know you liked it."

A look of horror came across Hinata's face, and this time she was sure she _felt_ her throat physically close. Did Naruto think she'd just asked him out on a _date?_ It wasn't that she wouldn't want to, but… but… but _something _in Hinata's mind was insisting this was wrong.

"Maybe she wants to try it," Sakura supplied helpfully, making Hinata jump. She'd totally forgotten the pink-haired girl was there. "I mean, you eat it all the time, so it can't be so bad, right?"

"Oh! Right!" Naruto agreed with a little laugh. "Well, do you want to come and have some too, Sakura?"

"Oh, you two go enjoy yourself," she replied airily. "I want to go ask for some tips at that flower stall – maybe they can tell me something that'll put me one up against Ino."

Giving the two a short wave, Sakura began on her way across the square toward the stall she'd mentioned, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone together. Barely giving the girl time enough to realise what had just happened, Naruto grabbed her hand and began enthusiastically pushing through the crowd so that he and Hinata could get to the stall faster. Hinata thought he was saying something about the different types of ramen she might like, but the sound of her heart hammering in her chest was loud enough to drown out all the background noise.

* * *

Short-and-bald ran his eyes over the board in front of him for the seventh time, trying to spot any way in which he might be able to defeat Shikamaru. The boy was good, undoubtedly, but surely he wasn't _quite_ good enough to win this match? At such a young age, his ability would have to be phenomenal. He must have been able to predict several outcomes at a time at least five moves ahead.

Short-and-bald's eyes lit up momentarily as he thought he'd spotted a move that could rescue him, but his face fell again a second later as he realised there was an easy counter for it. "Good game," he finally conceded, sitting back from the board. "It's been a while since I've been worked that hard, never mind beaten."

Shikamaru took a deep breath and exhaled softly, before offering his opponent a lopsided smile. "Yeah. You too," he replied honestly.

Knowing there was no sense in trying to give the older man a pep talk, or patronising him by picking out the good aspects of his play, Shikamaru immediately steered the conversation onto the subject he'd broached when he first sat down. "So, this ninja you mentioned…" Shikamaru began. "What was he like?"

"Quiet," was the first word short-and-bald came up with. "He was very quiet. He didn't speak very often, and when he did, it was in a low voice. It was kind of sinister," he recalled with a small shiver. "He had one of those things too," he added, pointing to the hitai-ite Shikamaru had around his upper arm. "Only his had a musical note on it."

Shikamaru frowned a little at this. "Did he have it on his forehead?"

Short-and-bald pursed his lips thoughtfully, before shaking his head. "I'm sure it was on his arm, like yours. Should you wear it on your head then?"

'That doesn't sound like Soin at all…' Shikamaru pondered. 'Whoever it was, though, was obviously from the sound village…'

"Can you remember anything else?" the Chuunin enquired. "Clothes, hair, anything he might have said about where he came from?"

The man opposite Shikamaru fell into silence, his eyes lowered in thought as he cast his mind back. "I'm sure his hair was a kind of light woody brown," he eventually returned. "And he had a dark blue top on, with a white sash round his waist."

"Dark blue? Might it have been black?" Shikamaru asked, wanting to be certain about this information.

"Definitely dark blue," short-and-bald answered firmly. "Black would have suited his hair, but I remember thinking how bad that blue looked as he left. I'm no fashion expert, but you'd have to be stupid to miss that."

'Quiet, with different coloured clothes and different hair…' Shikamaru summed up for himself. 'So it most likely wasn't Soin at all…'

"Thank you," the Chuunin murmured, standing up. "That's all I needed."

"You don't want another game?" short-and-bald asked, almost sounding disappointed. "That was the best I've had for a long time."

"No," Shikamaru answered, slipping his sandals on. "I have to meet my friends. However…"

The Nara boy trailed off as he set his hand on the door handle, turning to glance over his shoulder at short-and-bald once more. "I would like our wager paid up."

* * *

"Ah, suki!" Naruto declared as he set down his empty ramen bowl, stretching contentedly before patting his stomach. "That was so good!"

The boy turned to Hinata, to ask what she thought of it, and frowned a little when he saw that she'd only eaten half the bowl, and was now stirring the remnants absently with her chopsticks, a distant look on her face. "Huh? Don't you like it, Hinata?"

The girl jumped at the mention of her name, almost dropping her chopsticks and clutching them tightly to her chest as she caught them, immediately turning bright red. "N-no, it's not that, Naruto-kun…" she stammered, offering the boy a wan smile. "It's quite nice! I was… was just thinking…"

The taste was certainly _different,_ Hinata had to admit that. Given that in her household, they usually ate things like rice and fish and pickles, the pork and miso ramen she'd opted to try was a fairly new experience – not in a bad way, but just something she'd decided she'd have to grow accustomed to. The truth was that her mind had been wandering, briefly picturing a scenario in which she and Naruto sat down to share meals every day, where she cooked for the boy and he gave her compliment after compliment in that loud-but-honest way he had. She'd gradually gotten lost deeper and deeper in that fantasy world, and had even gotten as far as Naruto being about to propose to her when the boy had snapped her out of her reverie.

Well, a girl's allowed to dream, isn't she?

Hinata hurriedly scooped up another mouthful of the noodles as Naruto nodded at her explanation, smiling a little at the savoury taste. If Naruto enjoyed savoury food this much, she could think of a whole range of dishes she could offer to cook for him, when she was a little more confident around him. But that was certainly a prospect for another day.

"Are you two done?"

Naruto turned to face Sakura as the pink-haired girl pushed through the crowd, which had thinned ever so slightly in the time Naruto and Hinata had been eating. Giving his teammate a brief wave, he leaned against the counter he sat at. "Nearly," he offered, jerking his head toward Hinata.

Sakura nodded at this, before turning to address the quieter girl. "Hinata, would you mind giving me and Naruto a few moments when you're done?" she asked politely. Seeing Hinata's face drop a little, given what it sounded like she was going to say to Naruto, Sakura hastily added, "I just wanted to ask him something about Sasuke-kun."

"Oh… hai," the girl answered with a smile, before hurriedly finishing her bowl off. "I'll meet you at the stall with the plushies, then – maybe I'll see something someone might like."

With that, the girl hopped off her seat and hurried through the crowd toward the stall she'd mentioned, leaving the other two with each other.

"So what did you want to ask, Sakura?" Naruto enquired. He sounded a little put-out, as if he was jealous of something, but he at least managed not to fold his arms or sulk like he would have back when team seven had formed all that time ago.

His teammate smiled a little nervously, before making a placating gesture with her hands. "It's not about Sasuke," she assured him. "But that was the easiest way to get a moment alone. Listen…"

The girl looked a little uncomfortable. "Do you think we can talk for a while tonight? It's quite important, but saying it now would make things… awkward…"

Naruto blinked blankly for a couple of moments, before warily nodding. "Okay…" he agreed. "But what's it about then?"

"I'll tell you everything tonight," the girl said with a smile. "But let's drop it for now, okay?"

* * *

Amidst the clutter of bright pinks and blues and reds and yellows and oranges, a single patch of green caught Hinata's eye. Reaching out, her eyes lit up as she saw what the plushie was.

Apparently, whatever company made Naruto's wallet had moved into making soft toys too. The frog she held in her hands now was exactly the same size and colour, but instead of having lips that snapped shut, the frog's mouth was perpetually open, its expression halfway between smiling and gawking. Shaking it a little, Hinata couldn't help giggling as its eyes rolled around. Having immediately fallen in love with it, she fished the money for it out of her purse and handed it to the stall's owner, before nuzzling her cheek against the frog's.

"Gama-chan," she named it, smiling as she looked at the plushie again.

Her dilemma now was whether she'd give it to Naruto, or keep it for herself. She didn't know how the boy would react to the plushie, but she didn't think he'd dislike it. On the other hand, it was such a cute little thing, and it reminded her of Naruto…

"Hinata!"

The girl started violently again, and quickly jammed the plushie into her pocket as Naruto called out to her, blushing lightly at having nearly been caught being so affectionate to a stuffed frog. Turning to face them, she smiled back.

"You done here? Come on, there's tons more stuff to do!"

* * *

Translations:

Kaasan – less formal version of 'okaasan' ('mother')  
Shiitake – a type of Japanese mushroom  
Daijoubu – literally means 'okay'; in this case means 'are you okay?'

* * *

Thank you for reading - please review! 


	9. Secret Revealed

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or any characters mentioned therein. Writing for fun, and to share the Kishimoto-love.

Thanks again for reviewing, everyone! Apologies for the delay in updating, but I was away from home over the Christmas and New Year period, so I only got back to writing recently. Also, the next update may take a while too – to say things are a touch tempestuous here at present is an understatement. For now, though, enjoy!

* * *

Naruto and Shikamaru both glanced up from their impromptu game of Go – played on a board Risa lent them – as there came a soft knocking at the door. The two boys gave each other a look, both daring the other to suggest he should be the one to go and answer it, thus leaving the Go board unprotected.

"Too much effort," Shikamaru stated, settling back to emphasise he didn't intend to move.

"Too lazy," Naruto countered, pointing accusingly. "You should exercise more."

The Chuunin, deciding dragging the argument out any longer would be too troublesome, played his winning card. "Team leader."

With a low growl of annoyance, Naruto pushed himself to his feet as the gentle rapping of knuckles on wood came again, mumbling a warning to Shikamaru about remembering exactly where every piece was as he reached for the door handle.

"Huh? Sakura?"

The pink-haired girl gave Naruto a small wave of greeting. "Can we have that talk now?" she asked quietly, glancing nervously toward the room she and Hinata shared. "It's kind of important…"

The blonde nodded blankly at this, before standing aside to let her in to his room. "What do you need to talk about?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not here. Someone…" Again, Sakura couldn't help that nervous sideways glance. "Someone might hear. Can we go outside?"

Naruto made a face. "But it's cold out there," he complained. "Besides, there's no-one up here but us."

The kunoichi crossly grabbed Naruto's wrist, pulling him out of the room and quietly closing the door. "It's important," she repeated, before pulling him down the corridor to the stairs. "We shouldn't be too long anyway."

* * *

A couple of minutes later, after Sakura found Risa and asked to borrow the key, Naruto found himself in the inn's rear garden, if you could call it that. It consisted of a slightly uneven improvised patio and a fairly small patch of unkempt grass, for the most part, with a couple of frail-looking flowers dotted about here and there.

"So what is it, Sakura?" Naruto asked, glancing around him as if he were expecting a trap or a sudden surprise to spring up. The girl's obvious nervousness had put him on alert.

"It's… it's about Hinata," Sakura began, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully. She _had_ planned out everything she was going to say, but now that it came to telling Naruto what she felt needed to be said, it was suddenly a little harder.

"Hinata?" Naruto echoed, blinking in surprise. "What is it? Is she okay?"

"Yes," Sakura answered hurriedly, trying to cut off any irrational fears Naruto may have suddenly developed. "Well… kind of… you'll see, anyway."

Frowning, Naruto nodded, waiting for Sakura to go on.

"Well… haven't you ever noticed how shy she is?"

The look Naruto gave Sakura spoke volumes about what he thought of such an obvious question, but he settled for a simple, "Yes," to answer it.

"Well… have you ever noticed she's a lot shyer around you?"

"She is?" Naruto wondered out loud, visibly stopping to think about it. "Well… I've never really noticed it before, because I don't really see her that much, but she does always go red and stammer in front of me…" The boy gave a relieved laugh as he rubbed the back of his head, adding, "I'd never seen her do it to anyone else, so I thought she was afraid of me or something!"

The boy's laugh quickly died down, though, and was replaced with a more pensive look. "But… if she's not afraid of me, why does she do it?"

Sakura smiled a little. She didn't even have to steer him down the right track. "Well, what else have you noticed about her?" she asked, trying to help Naruto along a little.

The blonde shrugged. "I dunno…she seems really nice, but she's quiet… I've heard about her having some sort of trouble at home, but I don't know what… She's stronger than she looks too…" A moment's silence passed between them, before a thought struck Naruto. "Why are you asking anyway?" he enquired.

"Think about it, Naruto…" Sakura urged him. "She's really shy around you, she's always nice to you, and in the Chuunin exam, you were the only one able to inspire her to stand up for herself. What sort of person does that?"

Again, Naruto shrugged blankly. "I dunno…" he admitted. "She just seems like a nice person normally, not like so many of the other villagers… I guess a best friend would help you stand up to someone, and you'd try to be nice to them all the time… but you wouldn't be shy around them, and we don't know each other that well anyway."

'She knows you better than you think' Sakura thought silently. 'Possibly better than anyone else.'

Out loud, the girl tried to press Naruto on. "So what sort of person could be a best friend and really shy, even when you don't really know them?"

Naruto frowned. "Sakura, you know I'm no good at riddles…"

"Just _think_," the girl insisted. "It's not a riddle, it's obvious!"

"Geez, calm down," Naruto grumbled, folding his arms as his brow creased in thought. "Best friend… don't know them… shy… blushing… best friend… special friend… special person…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Sakura tense in anticipation as he mumbled those last two words. "Special person?" he asked.

"Yes," the girl answered, gesturing for him to carry on. "But what sort of special person?"

"Well… special people… there's friends," Naruto reasoned. "Family… people who help you through your life… boyfriends or girlfriends… the other village… ers…"

Naruto paused halfway through the word, his voice trailing off as he turned to look at Sakura with wide, shocked eyes. _"ARE YOU SAYING HINATA HAS A CRUSH ON ME?"_

_

* * *

_

Up in her room, Hinata shivered softly as an icy-cold breeze brushed by her. Marking the page she'd reached in her book, the kunoichi stood up and shuffled a little sleepily across the room to close the window. Somehow, the excitement of having spent the whole day with Naruto – sometimes alone with him, since Sakura kept tactfully disappearing – had tired her out, and she'd already changed into her silk pyjamas ready for an early night. Unfortunately, silk pyjamas weren't very draught-proof.

The young girl paused as she reached for the window, frowning as she heard muted voices talking about something. She couldn't pick out what, but it sounded urgent.

Hinata's eyes suddenly widened. What if it was Soin and the other ninja Shikamaru said had played Shogi? She should alert the others, she realised, but she didn't want to raise a false alarm. The Hyuuga girl swiftly ran through a series of hand-seals, before barely even whispering as she uttered a single word to activate her family's bloodline technique. "Byakugan!"

Looking down, Hinata peered through the window, and was relieved to see Sakura and Naruto stood there. No need for the panic, she told herself with a smile, her eyes returning to normal as she reached up again to close the window.

"_ARE YOU SAYING HINATA HAS A CRUSH ON ME?"_

The dark-haired kunoichi almost leapt out of her skin as Naruto suddenly yelled, and it was only thanks to her quick reflexes that she kept from falling through the glass, since she'd been leaning forward to reach it. Clutching at her chest, feeling her heart hammering underneath her hand, Hinata leaned as close to the open window as she dared, her cheeks burning as she realised exactly what that yell had meant.

'Sakura didn't tell him, did she?' the girl fretted silently. A million questions poured through her mind at once, but one stood out above all the others. 'What will he say…?'

Feeling her heart beating even faster, Hinata leaned closer still, straining to catch Naruto's reaction. While she knew it was rude to eavesdrop, this could be her one and only chance to find out exactly what Naruto thought of her. Surely, even if he didn't return her feelings, she'd be better off knowing so that she could move on, right?

"Naruto-kun…" the girl whispered softly as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her voice conveying everything she felt at that moment. "Please…"

* * *

"Took you long enough to figure it out," Sakura chided with a small huff. "You do realise, her father and immediate family aside, you're probably the last person in the village to notice?"

"Buh… buh… but…" Naruto protested weakly, eyes still as wide as saucers. "That's what all the blushing was about? And the ramen today? And-"

"Yes," Sakura interrupted abruptly, sure that Naruto was about to launch into a long tirade listing everything he'd suddenly noticed about Hinata. "And from what I can tell, she's had a crush on you for years, maybe even since she first saw you."

For once, Naruto lapsed into silence as this news sank in, closing his eyes and lowering his head in solemn thought. "Sakura…" he murmured softly. "This… isn't a joke or anything, is it? You're not just teasing me?"

The pink-haired girl's initial reaction was anger that Naruto would even suggest such a thing, but seeing the look in his eyes as he lifted his head, she realised how important that question was. "It's no joke," she assured him with a gentle voice. "Hinata really does like you."

Slowly, an air of regret about him, Naruto lowered his head again. "Sakura…" he uttered gently, his voice sounding almost pained. "I… I don't feel the same back…"

* * *

How wrong Hinata had been…

As those words reached her, the Hyuuga girl felt an icy-cold slither of pain stab into her heart like the cruellest of blades, cutting her hopes, dreams and world in two as she slowly stepped back from the window, shaking her head softly in denial. She tried to speak, to refute the words out loud, but the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat made her struggle to even breathe, never mind talk.

In all her worst nightmares, rejection had never felt as bad as this. Right now, she consciously registered nothing but numbness, but she could already feel his words beginning to tear her up inside. Right then, only one thought came to mind, one of the crudest of survival instincts that, even with her ninja training, she couldn't override this time.

_Something hurt you. Get away from it._

Stifling a sob, Hinata turned and bolted from her room, throwing the door open and running down the hall without a thought for the noise disturbing anyone else. Reaching the top of the stairs, Hinata took them two at a time as she rushed down, skidding to a stop in front of the inn's entrance and tugging at the door handle to try to get out.

Get away get away get away get away… 

Not even hearing her own despairing cry of, "No!" as the door refused to budge, Hinata sank to her knees as she realised it was locked, leaning weakly against the wood as her strength left her body. Of all painful ironies, the one time she didn't want to be near her Naruto-kun was the one time she couldn't even leave the building he was in.

"My my, what's all this noise about then?"

That did it for Hinata. Hearing Risa's voice – concerned, but jovial – was all it took to open the floodgates, and the girl felt herself beginning to tremble as she tried to stifle her tears. Her defence only held for a few moments, though, and she soon began to openly sob where she knelt, burying her face in her hands as hot tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Silly little thing…" Risa chided softly, her voice showing that she didn't think Hinata was silly at all. "You'll catch your death of cold out there. Come on, let's come into the kitchen."

Seeing Hinata wasn't moving, Risa knelt down beside her, slipping a comforting arm round her shoulders and giving her a warm squeeze. "It's about that boy, isn't it?"

Shocked, Hinata momentarily stopped crying, turning to stare at Risa through red-rimmed eyes. The old woman's friendly smile warmed Hinata for a brief second, but it didn't take long for her lower lip to start trembling again, and before she realised it, she was cuddled up against Risa in fresh floods of tears.

"You wear your heart on your sleeve," the innkeeper explained softly, giving Hinata another gentle squeeze before helping her up to her feet. "Come on, let's get a warm drink in you and see if anything can help – even if it's only talking. Okay?"

Nodding, still crying fiercely, Hinata allowed herself to be led away to the old woman's kitchen.

* * *

Sakura stared blankly at Naruto for a moment, dumbfounded. She'd been so _sure_ that she was right, she hadn't stopped to consider any other alternative. "What do you mean?" she demanded. "Are you saying you feel absolutely _nothing_ for her at all?"

"No! I mean, yes! I mean… I don't know," Naruto sighed in exasperation. "Sakura… you're the only person I've ever thought I liked – I've never even _looked_ at Hinata that way, and now you're telling me she's liked me for all these years? I just…" The boy gestured helplessly. "I don't know what to think. It's a big thing for me to hear."

"Well, _try_ to think then," Sakura urged again softly. "All you'd have to do is ask, and she'd go out with you in a flash. You said you've always wanted someone to care for you and acknowledge you – and she can give you that."

Naruto turned away from his teammate, gazing down at the straggly grass by his feet as if it could give him the answers if he paid it enough attention. "I can't just do that to her though," he answered in a quiet voice. "I couldn't go out with her if I didn't care for her too, could I? I don't even know her well enough to know if I'd want to – apart from her ninja training and the medicines she makes, I know almost nothing about her."

A small smile came to the boy's lips as he remembered what she'd said to him all those months ago before his fight with Neji in the Chuunin exams. Had she been trying to tell him then, he wondered?

His smile soon fell as he remembered what _he'd_ said back.

"You know what? I like people like you." 

"So why don't you _try_ getting to know her then?" Sakura asked of her friend. "If you do like her, then fine – and if not, you might find another friend in her, at least, and she'll be happy that she's spending more time with you. Wouldn't at least trying it be worth it for both of you?"

Again, Naruto kept his thoughts to himself for a few moments, exhaling softly as he finally came to a conclusion. "I need to think about it," he decided, turning and walking back toward the inn slowly. "I can't say I'd never like her that way… but I don't right now either."

The boy reached for the door handle, and paused momentarily to say one last thing. "Sakura… thank you for telling me, at least."

The smile he gave the girl was weak, but not without humour as he added, "I guess it's still nice to know that someone cares."

The soft 'click' of the door closing seemed to state with finality that the subject was closed, and for just a moment, Sakura wondered if she'd done the right thing.

'At least Hinata wasn't here…' she comforted herself, before heading back inside the inn too.

* * *

"I see…" Risa murmured softly as, amid much hiccupping, sniffling, outright crying and embarrassed apologies, Hinata told her what had happened.

The younger girl nodded softly at this, not sure what else to do, and picked up the mug of cocoa Risa had set in front of her. While Hinata normally drank tea, the innkeeper had insisted that something thicker and sweeter would help her more, and Hinata had a vague feeling that she was right.

The two fell into silence as the back door opened, and they watched as Naruto walked slowly past the doorway, head lowered and hands jammed into his pockets, apparently lost in his own little world. Hinata's initial reaction was to jump up and rush after him, but a gentle hand on her shoulder held her back. "Not yet," Risa warned her. "By the look on his face, he's in about as bad a state as you are. That wasn't guilt; it was confusion."

Nodding softly, Hinata watched as Risa walked forward and closed the door between them and the hallway, before escorting the Hyuuga girl back to her chair. "W-well…" she sniffed softly, rubbing at her eyes with the sleeve of her pyjamas. "What should I do?"

"In all honesty…" Risa began, sipping at the cocoa she'd made for herself too. "I wouldn't _do_ anything." Seeing Hinata was about to protest, Risa gestured for her to stay quiet with one hand. "If you two are supposed to be together, it'll happen – maybe tonight was a part of it, I don't know. If you _are_ supposed to be together, nothing you can do will make it happen any faster either. And if you aren't, then forcing the issue won't help things – if anything, it might even make it worse."

"So, you're saying… I should just leave him alone?" Hinata asked uncertainly, sounding somewhat subdued at this thought.

"I wouldn't put it that way…" Risa replied with a twinkle in her eye. "There's no harm in selling yourself to him – no, not like that!" the old woman hastily corrected with a laugh as she saw the horrified look on Hinata's face. "Good lord, I think if you tried that he'd run a mile."

Allowing herself one more small chuckle, Risa picked up where she left off. "I just mean to let him see who you really are – if he tries to talk to you, talk to him instead of just blushing. Instead of being the shy, frightened little girl you normally are around him, try to be more open, like you are now. Goodness, I know it isn't easy, but if you want him to fall for _you…_" Risa emphasised this word with a pointed look, to convey that she meant the _real_ Hinata. "Then you have to show him who you really are."

Hinata nodded softly at this, apparently thinking it over, before hesitantly replying to the older woman. "I… I can try… I suppose…" she stated weakly, sounding about as confident of this possibility as she felt. "But… but what if he doesn't fall for me?"

The saddened smile Risa gave Hinata spoke volumes, baring the fact that she was talking from experience. "Then at least you've saved yourselves years of heartache, and have someone you can cry with."

Hinata nodded her acceptance again, her motions much smaller than earlier, before feeling her eyes well up. "N…Naruto-kun…" she whispered quietly, before folding her arms on the table and burying her face in them as she fell into fresh floods of tears once again.

* * *

When Hinata finally returned to her room, she saw Sakura had already gone to bed, and was feigning sleep. Hinata didn't question her about it – she knew exactly why, after all – but instead climbed into her own futon, rolling over with her back to Sakura so that she too could pretend she had drifted off. Neither girl felt up to talking, but they couldn't close their eyes for the night either. While the snores from the next room informed them that Naruto was having no such trouble, both found themselves just laying there, waiting for sunrise to let them know a new day was upon them, so that they could continue with their mission once more.

* * *

Please review! Constructive criticism is especially welcomed, since this was an important chapter.

(And please don't kill me?)


	10. There's a Light in Your Eyes

Disclaimer: The usual. I'm sure you've got it by now.

* * *

_Hinata gave a soft cry as a kunai flashed past her, nicking her cheek and drawing a thin line of blood. She didn't know how much longer she could continue fighting against so many ninja; it seemed like every time she knocked one down, two came back in his place._

_The girl spun and struck another ninja in the sternum as she heard him come up from behind her, the man's eyes bulging as a spike of chakra entered him and disrupted his own chakra system. Dropping to his knees with a soft gurgle, the man began clawing at his chest, feebly trying to reverse the effect of Hinata's Jyuuken strike as he felt consciousness beginning to slip away. The Hyuuga didn't even have time to watch him pass out, though, as a cry from behind her alerted her to another enemy's presence. Loosing off yet another strike, wondering exactly how much chakra she had left, Hinata dealt with that opponent too, her breathing becoming heavier with each effort._

_Another cry, and another strike. Again, she only had a brief moment before the next foe arrived and was dealt with. Hinata was able to feel herself slowing down now, her arms beginning to feel like lead as she defended herself against yet another assault._

'_Where are they coming from?'_

_Two suddenly popped up either side of Hinata, and it was only thanks to the last of her energy that she was able to beat all of them back in time. Slumping to her knees, Hinata gasped for breath as she silently prayed that they were the last of her enemies._

_Given the roar that came from behind her, it seemed the gods weren't looking particularly favourably on her today._

'_Someone… please…'_

"_Rasengan!"_

_Hinata's eyes widened at that yell, before turning just in time to see her blonde-haired saviour blast the ninja away with one of his trademark moves. Naruto paused only long enough to give Hinata a quick grin, before bringing his hands together into the seal that indicated his other speciality was coming up. "Tajuu, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

_The remaining enemies gave gasps of horror as masses of Narutos appeared around Hinata, each with a look of rage in his eyes that anyone should pick on his friend, especially when they outnumbered her. "What's wrong?" they all chorused as one. "Scared of a fair fight?"_

_It wasn't long at all before the fight was over, and Naruto dispelled his jutsu. Kneeling down beside Hinata, Naruto reached forward and gently cupped her chin with two fingers, tilting her head to face him. "Daijoubu, Hinata-chan?"_

_Hinata blushed fiercely at this gentle treatment and lowered her head, before peering gratefully up at her rescuer through her lashes. "Hai… Arigatou…" she whispered._

_One thought crossed Naruto's mind, before he began leaning forward slowly, his lips moving closer and closer to hers._

'_Damn, she's cute…'_

_

* * *

_

Naruto cried out as he suddenly jerked awake, flailing as he sat up before realising that he _hadn't_ just been about to molest his teammate. Slumping forward, drawing his knees up closer to him so he could prop his elbows against them, the boy sighed in relief. Had he really been spending that long around the perverted hermit?

"Geez…" the boy groaned, rubbing at his head tiredly. "What a dream…"

Lying down again with a resigned sigh, arms spread out either side of him, Naruto stared up at the ceiling. It wasn't _that_ surprising that he'd dreamt that, he supposed. While he'd been able to fall asleep quickly enough when he first went to bed, he'd awoken at some ungodly hour in the night and had tossed and turned for a long time, unable to get comfy again.

* * *

"_ARE YOU SAYING HINATA HAS A CRUSH ON ME?"_

"_Took you long enough to figure it out. You do realise, her father and immediate family aside, you're probably the last person in the village to notice?"_

_

* * *

_

That thought had weighed heavily on his mind for… well, he had no idea how long it had been before he'd gotten back to sleep. The idea that someone thought of him – _him,_ the loser, the outcast, the Kyuubi-vessel – in that way was just so much to take in. All his life, he'd dreamed of being loved and accepted, and had felt like he was utterly alone before he'd been put in team seven… and for so long, there had been someone sitting not even eight seats away from him who'd been willing to give him that acceptance without questioning it?

It was almost unbelievable…

Naruto sighed for a third time, puffing softly at his hair as he folded his hands behind his head. What was he going to do?

Almost as if replying to this unspoken question, the blonde's stomach growled loudly, informing him that it was well past breakfast time.

"Heh… alright, alright," the boy told the complaining organ with a slight laugh in his voice, though even he could tell it sounded forced. He'd have to work on that. "We'll go get breakfast. But you have to be quiet after that, you hear?"

His stomach grumbled again, but this time it was more softly, as if in acceptance of those terms. With another feeble laugh, Naruto got up and began dressing, noting idly that Shikamaru had apparently already gone to breakfast without him. "Geez, it was nice of him to wake me up…" he groused, tugging one sock on. "I know we have a couple of days off, but I still want time to look round the town and stuff!"

The upbeat front Naruto was putting on was rapidly impressing even him. He knew that today would consist more of 'and stuff' than looking round, but the last thing he wanted was to worry the others, and especially Hinata. What if she started fussing over him? What could he say? "Sorry, Sakura told me your secret last night, and it's totally messed my head up, but don't worry, we can still be friends"?

The blonde shook his head as he left the room he and the team's leader shared. Given the choice, he'd avoid any confrontation on the subject until he had some answers himself. The trouble was, he had no idea what those answers could be, or even what half the questions were.

* * *

As Naruto entered the dining room, the smell of freshly cooked ramen wafted to him from the kitchen. The delicious scent made his stomach rumble again, and Sakura and Shikamaru turned to face him as the loud noise emanated.

"Ohayo, Naruto," Shikamaru greeted lazily, trapping a mouthful of fish on his plate between his chopsticks. "I told Risa to start cooking the ramen for you, since I guessed you'd be down soon."

"Geez, you could've woken me," Naruto grumbled in reply, sitting at the same seat as he had yesterday to await his food. Glancing at the empty chair beside him, the blonde frowned. "Is Hinata still asleep?"

Sakura shook her head. "When I woke up this morning, she'd already gone," she explained a little uneasily. Hinata's secret being revealed and her sudden change in schedule had come too close together for comfort, even if she hadn't been there to hear Naruto turn her down. "I asked Risa if she'd stopped by for breakfast, but she said she'd just gone straight out."

The two boys both sat in silence for a moment at this news. While Hinata had evidently gone wherever it was of her own free will, it seemed strange that she should just disappear without telling them anything. Still, maybe she'd left to train and just hadn't wanted to wake them or something.

"I guess we'll just have to worry about it if none of us see her today," Shikamaru decided. "She can look after herself, after all."

The other two nodded at this. Before either could add anything to that thought, though, Risa wandered in with a large bowl in her hands. "One order of beef ramen, with extra beef," she announced, setting the bowl down in front of Naruto. "Since you slept so late, you must be tired – you could use the extra energy."

"Really?" Naruto cried in delight, staring down into the bowl with glee in his eyes. "Yatta! Sankyuu, baachan!"

The old woman chuckled softly as she left the room, and Naruto snatched his chopsticks up with all his usual enthusiasm. "Itadakimasu!"

The blonde paused, though, as he was about to dig in. His mind had just flashed him an image of him and Hinata at the ramen stall yesterday, and a twang of guilt had hit him. He knew he hadn't done anything _wrong,_ but he still felt bad. He briefly wondered what Hinata must have felt like, being dragged to the stall by him after he'd blurted out whatever it was about her asking him out on a date, and decided it had probably been really nice – but probably in a painful sort of way. And that was where the guilt came in.

"Naruto?" Sakura enquired, noticing the obvious hesitation. "Daijoubu?"

As the blonde looked up at her, she caught the look in his eyes and realised just how stupid her question had been. Of course he wasn't okay. "Try not to worry about it," she told him in a reassuring tone. "I mean, she doesn't know, right? It's not like you have to decide any time soon."

Shikamaru set his chopsticks down, glancing from Sakura to Naruto and back again as he wondered what they were talking about. "Well, I'm going to go and continue the mission," he decided, standing up and stretching. "You guys do what you want."

The two nodded their acknowledgement of this, and as Shikamaru left, muttering about something being troublesome, Sakura leaned across the table and took Naruto's hand in hers, giving it a soft squeeze. "It's okay," she said with a soft voice. "I'll worry about the mission for today; you worry about what you need to."

As Naruto nodded at this, he gave Sakura a weak smile of gratitude, which the girl returned much more brightly. "Now eat your ramen," she scolded him. "It'll go cold otherwise, and Risa wouldn't appreciate that, would she?"

Again, Naruto afforded Sakura a weak smile. "Hai…" he agreed, picking a lump of beef up with his chopsticks and shaking it off a little to let it cool. "And Sakura… thank you…"

* * *

"_You worry about what you need to…"_

It seemed so easy to say that, but Naruto wasn't even sure what it was he needed to worry about.

'Hinata's got a crush on me…' he reflected silently as he walked through the streets of the town, barely noticing the people around him as his mind wandered further and further. It still sounded so strange to him. Hyuuga Hinata, the quietest and most unassuming girl he knew, daughter of the most powerful clan in Konoha, had a crush on _him_ – on _that_ Uzumaki Naruto. The fact that she acknowledged him should have been an incredible feeling in itself, and he was sure he should feel elated that he even had the choice of going out with such a girl…

…so why didn't he?

'Why is it so hard to accept?' he wondered, his eyes staring distantly at the dirt under his feet as he wandered past someone shouting about something they were selling. 'Why can't I just take this chance?'

Naruto knew that he wouldn't start dating her simply because she liked him – that wouldn't be fair on her, and he wouldn't be happy either. But what was stopping him from at least talking to her? Just finding her and getting to know her, to see what she was really like?

'It's all I could ask…' he reasoned almost miserably. 'I want to be loved, to be accepted and cared for. I want people to see who I am, to look beyond the Kyuubi-vessel and see _me…_ But now that someone has…'

The boy's eyes half-closed, and he sighed softly through his nose. 'Now that someone has… It's almost like I'm afraid to take it…'

He supposed that was at least part of it. It was among the biggest moments of his life, and he had no idea what to do about it. When Mizuki had told him he was the Kyuubi's vessel, he'd been able to run. When he'd found a family in Team Seven, he'd been able to cling on to it with all he could. But what should he do here? If he held on too tightly, he might break it, and if he ran… well, at the very minimum, he'd be left with a lot of 'what if's for a long time.

It was just so sudden too, which he supposed didn't help. He'd just had half of what he'd dreamed of all his life dropped into his lap without a word of warning, and…

'…and what?' he asked himself. 'What is it? _Why_ can't you take it in? Why can't you just do _something?'_

The boy's thoughts were interrupted as he bumped into something, and he instinctively reached out to grab hold of it as he felt himself tipping backwards.

* * *

A lone figure sat behind a small wall near the border of Shinko Town, her knees drawn up to her chest and arms wrapped loosely round her legs. Her pale lilac eyes were vacant as she gazed aimlessly into the distance, thinking about everything she'd heard and been told the day before.

"_I… I don't feel the same back…"_

"_By the look on his face, he's in about as bad a state as you are. That wasn't guilt; it was confusion."_

"_If you two are supposed to be together, it'll happen…"_

"_If you want him to fall for _you…_ then you have to show him who you really are."_

"How can I…?" Hinata whispered dejectedly to herself. "I can't even think about him without hurting right now… how can I talk to him?"

Hinata agreed with everything Risa had said – that she'd have to make the effort to talk to Naruto, and let him see exactly what sort of girl she really was – but that didn't make it any easier to actually do it. It wasn't even that she didn't want to. Every time she thought of him, she remembered his words. When she'd walked past the ramen stall they'd eaten at the day before, she'd nearly burst into tears at the memory. How much would it hurt to actually see him face to face – to be reminded of _why_ she cared for him so much, and at the same time to know she wasn't going to have those feelings returned?

Not knowing had left her a means with which to dream – she could freely and happily picture a future with Naruto, and make it as fantastic as she liked. She could remind herself it wasn't likely, but that didn't diminish the wonderful thoughts in any way.

She'd always believed that she wouldn't mind if Naruto told her he didn't like her that way, because she'd be happy as long as he was. Last night, though, she'd discovered just how untrue that was. Now, faced with the reality of Naruto not returning her feelings, she hurt more than she'd known was possible.

So how could she face seeing him now?

Hinata sighed miserably, burying her face in her knees.

"_I… I don't feel the same back…"_

"_If you two are supposed to be together, it'll happen…"_

Were they not meant to be, then? Or had last night really just been a part of it?

The Hyuuga girl worried at her lower lip unconsciously. She'd hoped that getting some fresh air and time alone might help her a little, but all she'd done so far was to brood and make herself even more depressed. Further to that, she glumly realised she'd disobeyed the twenty-first shinobi rule – a ninja must never show their emotions while on a mission. While her sitting and moping hadn't helped anyone, if she'd gone and made enquiries about Soin, then she might have found something out.

There. Instead of fulfilling her role as a ninja, she'd just made things worse for herself. If that was all Naruto saw of her, it was no wonder he didn't return her feelings.

With a heavy sigh, Hinata pushed herself to her feet, taking a steadying breath as she tried to calm her mind down. "My ninja way…" she murmured. "I will be the best I can be, and I won't go back on my word."

She admired Naruto because he always tried his best, right? That was an example she could stand to follow.

With a deft movement, Hinata hopped lightly over the wall she'd been sat against, landing on the other side with barely a sound. Turning to look down the street, Hinata tried to remember which way the market square was. It'd make most sense to look there first, right?

'No… not that way' Hinata decided. 'That's where Risa's inn is. So I have to go this-'

Hinata's thoughts were cut off as she turned round. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of orange, and then something bundled into her.

Hinata gave a cry of surprise as she fell herself tipping back, caught off-balance, and flailed as she sought something to grab on to. A hand gripped her wrist firmly, and before she knew it she found herself being pulled back upright and bumping against that bright orange figure again…

…and staring straight into two confused cerulean eyes.

Hinata felt her chest clench. Of all things that could possibly happen, she _had_ to bump into Naruto right now, didn't she?

* * *

Naruto gaped in surprise at the girl he'd caught hold of as he fell. His grabbing her had fortunately kept them both on their feet, but had tugged them both together too. Now he found himself staring down into two wide, shocked lilac eyes, the girl he held in his arms beginning to tremble a little as recognition settled over both of them.

Naruto suddenly felt his heart pounding as he stared down at Hinata, swallowing thickly as he found himself frozen to the spot. He could feel adrenaline rushing through him, trying to make him bolt, laugh, yell, _anything,_ but instead he continued to just gawp dumbly.

"Uh-uhm… Hi, Hinata…" he eventually managed to force out with a weak smile, letting go of the girl slowly.

The two stood in an awkward silence after that, both avoiding eye contact and desperately trying to think of something to say to the other and getting nowhere fast. The moment may have lasted a second or a full minute before either of them found their voices, but unsurprisingly, it was Naruto who spoke first.

"Ano… ne, Hinata… do you want to go get some ramen or something?"

Naruto could visibly see confused surprise register on Hinata's face, and he hurriedly blustered out an explanation. "I-I just figured, you know, since we've got some time off, it might make sense for us to get to know each other a bit… I mean, to help with team work and stuff…"

The look remained on Hinata's face a moment longer, before a little curiosity came to her eyes too. Eventually, she nodded with a small smile and a dainty blush. "Un… arigatou, Naruto-kun…"

As the two began on their way to the market square in silence – this time, a comfortable silence – Hinata couldn't help smiling a little wider as she glanced shyly across at the boy beside her. Sure, he hadn't mentioned it being a date – he'd quite deliberately avoided it, in fact – but there was still something different to the last time they'd eaten ramen together. He knew how she felt, and even though he didn't know she knew that, he was still taking the time out to be friendly toward her.

He hadn't backed away. In fact, he was trying to get a little closer, even if he was just being friendly.

"_If you two are supposed to be together, it'll happen…"_

The Hyuuga girl closed her eyes contently for a moment. Maybe she could allow herself to dream a little longer after all…

* * *

Just in case I didn't make it obvious (because, to be frank, I think I wrote this chapter quite spectacularly badly) those two are not going out with each other yet. Naruto really is _just_ getting to know her for now, okay?

Please review!


	11. Ask for Answers

Disclaimer: The usual.

To everyone who reviewed – the support you gave me for the different approach to this pairing was wonderful. I wasn't certain how people would react, but now I'm confident I went the right way about it. Thank you all so much!

…unfortunately, this chapter isn't really just reward for that. It's shorter than the rest, but I didn't have any decent places to end it without making it vastly longer. So I apologise for that, but look on the bright side – the good stuff's yet to come!

* * *

"Oi, Naruto."

The blonde looked up at his teammate, and blinked in surprise as Shikamaru tossed a small green bundle to him. "That's to make up for the rooms," the Chuunin explained somewhat bluntly. "I won it at the Shogi parlour yesterday."

Naruto blinked again, before removing the string Shikamaru had tied the bundle with and counting up the notes. "_Nani?"_ the boy cried out. "How much did you bet?"

Shikamaru shrugged, a wry smile on his lips. "Not all that much. He just insisted we go double or nothing." For a moment, Shikamaru almost looked cocky – he probably would have, had it not required so much effort. "And when he lost that, he insisted we go double or nothing again."

Naruto stared at his leader for a moment, before laughing brightly. "Ha – more fool him!" the boy sniggered. "He should've learnt his lesson!"

Shikamaru rather diplomatically chose not to remind his friend of the frequent previous Go defeats he'd suffered at Shikamaru's hands, and instead followed on to more pressing issues. "Anyway, make sure you don't take too long at breakfast today," he remarked offhandedly. "Okitaki's manager should be back today, and we need to catch him before the rush."

"Yeah yeah…" Naruto replied as he rummaged through his backpack for Froggie so he could safely deposit his money. "Don't worry, my appetite's right back!"

Naruto's stomach grumbled in agreement with this, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes before heading downstairs. Anyone'd think something lived there, the way it seemed to converse some days…

* * *

"Ah, you must be the four ninja I was informed of."

Shikamaru bowed courteously to the smartly dressed man in front of him, before assuming a more relaxed stance as he gestured to his team. "We're looking for another ninja, and we have reason to believe he stopped here on his travels. We would appreciate any help you could give us as to his whereabouts."

The manager of the Okitaki Bar nodded at this, before taking a seat behind his desk, gesturing for the ninja to pull up a chair too. "I'll certainly do all I can to help," he promised the group, before leaning forward with a grin. "You're all from the Hidden Leaf village, aren't you?"

As the others nodded somewhat cautiously, the manager chuckled. "No, it's nothing like that… I am familiar with a few of your members, and am a personal friend of Jiraiya."

"You know Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked in surprise. "Why would he stop here though? I haven't seen any women for him to hang around with."

The manager coughed tactfully at Naruto's question, before settling back into his chair. "Jiraiya doesn't _only_ visit bars to meet ladies," he explained. "Sometimes, he chooses to simply relax and unwind, and this bar was frequently on the route he took back from missions in his younger years, whether by accident or design."

Shikamaru nodded at this, and quickly cut Naruto off before he could continue his line of questioning any further. "Well, we shan't keep you any longer than we need," Shikamaru informed the manager, giving Naruto a warning look. "This is the man we're looking for."

The Chuunin turned to Sakura and gave her a nod, and the girl brought her hands together in the required seal. "Henge!"

Once the smoke caused by Sakura's transformation had cleared, the manager observed her new form for a moment, before nodding. "Yes, I remember him," he concluded. "He didn't come across as being particularly pleasant, but a customer's a customer, you know?"

Shikamaru nodded at this. "Did he say anything about where he'd come from?"

The bar's manager shook his head regretfully. "I'm afraid he didn't – aside from ordering drinks, he said very little at all. However…"

The four ninja waited with bated breath as the manager closed his eyes in thought, apparently conjuring up a mental image. "I always make a point of remembering new customers," he murmured. "That way, I can report them if they cause trouble. Now let's see…"

The man fell into silence again, and this time it seemed to drag out for an age. Naruto was literally seconds from snapping and demanding that he hurry up, before the manager's eyes suddenly opened again. "Fried squid!" he announced, much to the group's surprise.

"…what?" Shikamaru eventually queried, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"That fellow you're looking for was eating fried squid when he came in," the manager explained, leaning forward to speak to the group again. "There's only three stalls in this town that sell fried squid, and they each have a colour-coded stick – it's like a form of advertising, or a trademark. If someone has a red stick, they came from this stall, but a yellow stick was from another. Your friend was eating from a blue stick – that's the stall over by the western entrance. The entry nearest here is the eastern one," he added helpfully.

"Ha! So he came from the west!" Naruto crowed triumphantly.

"Not necessarily," Shikamaru cautioned him. The Chuunin turned to face their informant again, his voice slightly softer as he voiced his thoughts out loud. "Are there any other entrances to the town? And are any stalls located near them?"

The manager looked thoughtful for a moment, then caught on to what Shikamaru was thinking. "Ah – yes, there's also an entrance one the North side," he conveyed to the group. "One of the stalls is toward the south, specifically to catch people avoiding the main market route, and the other is on the other side of the market square. That normally gets lost in the crowd though," he finished.

"So if Soin arrived from either of the other gates, he probably wouldn't have encountered the other stalls," Shikamaru reasoned. "In which case…"

"The blue one would have been the first one he came to," Sakura finished for him, realisation hitting her too. "So he might have come from the north, since Konoha's to the east."

Shikamaru nodded confirmation of this. "Or, if he knew the stalls' colour-coding system, he might have even done it to mislead us," he reasoned. "But going to the south or east stalls would make it too obvious he was doing that."

By this point, Naruto was beginning to feel a little lost, but he folded his arms and nodded thoughtfully all the same. "So we should ask at all the other stalls then," he murmured, hoping he'd hit the nail on the head.

"No," Shikamaru answered. "The blue stall is the only one we know he bought anything from, so the others are essentially useless to us. I would expect a ninja to enter a town discreetly and avoid leaving any clues as to where he came from – but if Soin kept the receipt from this place, there's no knowing what he might have done."

Hinata, who had sat in silence for the duration of the discussion, finally found a moment where she could offer her thoughts. "Demo, Shikamaru…" she began somewhat shyly, not wanting to risk making herself look silly in front of Naruto. "If he hasn't come here before, then… then he might not know about the colour-coding…" she reasoned. "The stall might have blue sticks because they thought it looked nice, for all he knew…"

Shikamaru grunted in agreement at this statement, before sighing softly. "Well, all we can do is ask," he decided. "It's the only clue we have to follow up on at the moment."

The Chuunin stood up and bowed to the bar's manager. "Thank you for your help," he stated plainly, before gesturing for the others to follow his lead.

"Not at all!" their informer replied cheerfully. "I hope you find your man, for what it's worth – and please do give Jiraiya my regards!"

"Heh – no problem," Naruto assured him with a grin. "I'll send the pervert over to visit you personally!"

Bidding the manager farewell, the group filed out of the room they'd been sat in and into the main bar again, before heading on their way to the western entrance.

* * *

"Hmm… yes, I remember him."

Sakura released her jutsu with a sigh of relief, glad that their lead hadn't come to nothing. While she was enjoying what had effectively turned out to be a working holiday, she wanted to be sure they completed the mission successfully – especially if it told them anything about where Sasuke-kun might be.

"He came by… probably a week ago…" the man murmured thoughtfully. "I wouldn't have really remembered him normally, but we don't get many ninja in this village so he stood out when I noticed him."

Shikamaru nodded at this. "Do you happen to remember which way he came from?" he enquired. Admittedly, he knew he was being optimistic, but there was no harm in trying it.

"Hmm…" the stall's owner mused softly again. "If I remember rightly, I think I saw him coming through that gate-" At this, he nodded toward the entrance opposite his stall. "-in the middle of a crowd of people. He was almost a full head taller than most of them, so he stood out right from the outset, really."

Seeing the troubled frown that came to Shikamaru's face at this information, the man was suddenly struck by an awful scenario. "He-… he's not a criminal, is he?" he blustered in an almost desperate voice. "I swear, whatever he did, I didn't know about it. All I did was serve him like I would any other customer; I've never helped a criminal out in my life! You gotta believe me, I didn't know-"

"Hey, hey," Shikamaru interrupted, looking almost irritated by this sudden outburst. "It's okay, we're not looking to arrest anyone. We just need to know where he came from."

"Oh, thank you!" the man groaned in relief. "This stall is all that's keeping my family going, so if I couldn't run it, I don't know what we'd-"

"Hey, it's okay!" This time, it was Naruto interrupting. "We're not after you, alright?"

The man nodded at this assurance, still looking a little uncertain, and Naruto flashed him a wide grin. "But while we're here, I'll have one of your fried squids to see what it's like."

"Oh… oh! Right away!"

As the man hurried about serving Naruto, Shikamaru turned his attention to the two girls who were with him. "Something isn't right…" he murmured. "He left us an obvious clue as to where he'd be, and made no effort to mask where he came from either. I don't think someone like Orochimaru would be interested in having such an incompetent ninja, but there's no doubting with his attacks that he's from the Hidden Sound village…"

"Perhaps he's done this to deliberately mislead us?" Hinata suggested. "Lure us here, then send us in a different direction to the one we want?"

"Maybe…" Shikamaru murmured. "But even sending us here left some clue as to where he'd been – he'd have been just as well off leaving nothing at all. It's just going too well for my liking…"

"Hey, this is good!" Naruto mumbled brightly around a mouthful of squid as he rejoined his team, having paid the stall owner a little extra to assure him that he really wasn't being investigated for anything. "You guys should try some!"

Shikamaru sighed softly at this interruption, before making a decision. "As it is, we've got no other choice," he informed the others. "We'll have to see where this takes us."

His voice became a little firmer as he gave his orders. "We'll leave in two days," he instructed his team. "Tomorrow, we'll train again, to get back into a fighting mentality. You've got the rest of today to relax," he added. "Dismissed. I'm going back to that Shogi parlour, if you need me."

"Yatta!" Naruto cried gleefully. "Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan! Let's go look at the rest of the town, away from the square!" he enthused, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "If the other people are as cool as Risa-baachan, there's gotta be some good stuff to do!"

"Oh, you two go," Sakura told them with a smile. "I've got to get up to date on my studies for Tsunade-sama, so there's a few books in our room I need to read."

Naruto made a face at this. "Bah… your loss," he told her, before turning to Hinata with another broad grin. "Ne, Hinata-chan – let's go!"

* * *

Please review!

(Also – next chapter, would you rather some filler featuring Naruto and Hinata getting a little closer (either in town or training, I'm not sure yet) or should I just get on with them leaving? Please let me know in the review!)


	12. Beginning the Journey West

Disclaimer: The usual. I own nothing but the disc this file was saved on.

Many thanks for all the reviews! I've decided, despite popular demand (sorry sorry sorry!), not to go for the filler, because – as one reviewer remarked – it really is time for a change of scenery. I don't even have anything new they could do in the town, after all. I will, however, throw in some waff-ish-stuff for this chapter, and there's fluff on the horizon, so all is not lost!

* * *

The team's day of rest had passed, and their day training together had passed too. Naruto and Hinata had taken time to specifically work on their 'UzuHyu Rendan', as they had named it, and all four were satisfied that they were now fighting together much more effectively. While, when they'd first fought Soin, each had tried to work to their own personal strengths, they had now learnt how to 'roll off' each other and allow their abilities to contrast, rather than clash. Shikamaru's tactical style now comfortably complimented Hinata's quick-finishing Jyuuken techniques, which in turn were supported by Naruto's brawling methods. With Sakura's more rounded approach to battle situations and healing jutsu added to all this, the team had a member to back them up no matter what they were planning.

With that knowledge now safely nestled in the backs of their minds, there was an air of added confidence about the team as they purposefully made their way along the western path. They had already walked for almost the entire day, and the track through the forest ahead of them seemed to lead almost right into the heart of the setting evening sun.

The fact they were journeying west didn't rest quite so easily with one member of the team, though. While Shikamaru's expression was as blank as ever as he gazed into the distance, his mind was brooding over thoughts and memories far more unpleasant than the picturesque scene around him would usually inspire in a person.

In many cultures, both present and ancient, it was believed that your soul journeyed west after you died. This thought had struck Shikamaru a while ago, and had brought with it memories of the last time he'd led a team on a mission – the ill-fated attempt to prevent Sasuke from joining Orochimaru's Sound village.

Usually, Shikamaru wasn't one to believe in omens or superstitions. On this particular occasion, though, it niggled at him. After all, if Naruto hadn't been able to convince Tsunade to rejoin the village, his best friend and another of the team he was supposed to have led safely through the mission would be dead right now – and he'd consider their blood to be on his hands. On this mission, there weren't going to be any last-minute reinforcements, and they'd travelled too far from the village to get people back in time for treatment. Granted, they had Sakura with them, but there was only so much she could do…

The Chuunin sighed almost inaudibly as the memory of seeing Chouji in hospital, withered away almost to a husk, came back to him. The emotions that he'd gone through, knowing two of his team were in critical condition, were still fresh in his mind – not as raw as they had been, but no less present – and that was something he'd give anything to not have to go through again.

Yes, he had confidence in his team, and yes, he knew he was capable of leading them… but no, he didn't know what he was leading them into. Would the mission be a success, or would this only be the start of a much longer journey west?

The Nara boy sighed again, this time in annoyance. He'd been right way back when he'd first earned his Chuunin title – being a leader really was more troublesome than it was worth, even if it did bring extra money in.

Shikamaru wasn't the only member of the group entertaining his own thoughts at that moment in time. While the two girls spoke to each other in hushed voices, Naruto walked along in silence a little ahead of them, staring vacantly down at the dirt track under his feet.

Naruto wasn't stupid. Despite all his academic shortcomings and obliviousness to certain things, he had a good head on his shoulders when he encountered the right situations. In battle, he was frequently able to produce a trump card seemingly from nothing, and it took a lot of hard work to achieve and keep hold of the title of the village's number one prankster. When something was explained to him in a way he could follow, and where his ninja instincts were involved, his brain could work just as quickly as almost anyone else's, if not faster.

The last couple of days had provided him ample opportunity to exercise these latent talents. Spending those few hours alone with Hinata, and their time training together, had given him lots of time to think and gain an insight on her. While he could hardly claim to now be an expert on all things Hyuuga-related, he had a better idea of who he was dealing with. Now that Sakura had pointed it out, he supposed it was blindingly obvious that she liked him. The subtle glances when she thought he wasn't looking, the way she became nervous whenever he spoke to her, the small-but-genuine smiles whenever he paid her an off-the-cuff compliment, and many other things besides, had set in stone in his mind the fact that Hyuuga Hinata truly had a crush on him.

At the same time, he'd learned a few other things – like that she wasn't comfortable whenever her family was mentioned, that she tended to prefer more delicate foods, and that her smile was almost as infectious as his, when she really meant it. She was undoubtedly shy, as he had already established, but there were certain things that brought a more bold side out of her. Things like her refusal to be beaten by any games they played at the market stalls, her wish to become accepted by her family (while this resolve was more muted on the surface, Naruto could definitely feel an underlying defiance), and her desire to follow her Ninja Way. The fire with which she spoke of this last point surprised him, so much so that he found himself staring at her with wide eyes once she'd finished.

On reflection, he realised, she was no different to him in that respect.

The boy allowed himself a small smile, though it was more wistful than in humour. She wasn't so bad, he decided. They certainly matched together well, at least in fighting, and she was fun to be around – his loud antics seemed to delight her, rather than annoying her, and on the couple of occasions she'd plucked up the courage to make a joke at his expense, he'd found himself laughing too – and laughing genuinely, not just out of politeness. She had what he was sure Iruka-sensei, with all his mother-hen mannerisms, would call a 'positive, calming effect' on him – he physically felt more relaxed around her, and the silences that had been awkward and a little uncomfortable in previous instances had begun to be broken a little more easily, where the need to break them was felt. Sometimes, he'd been happy just enjoying that calmness without saying anything at all.

How many other people had he felt like that around? He was sure he could count them on one hand, if he bothered recalling their names. They had all shared one thing in common, though – he'd viewed each of them as _friends,_ rather than companions. With Hinata, what he felt now was certainly a strong companionship, and he had a strong gut feeling that it would grow further, but…

'What will it grow into?' he wondered briefly.

Naruto sighed inwardly. If Hinata were to become one of his truly precious people – one way or another – he'd have to trust her with his secret eventually. He was sure that she wouldn't scream and run away babbling to all and sundry about 'that demon child', but as for how she _would_ react…

The boy sighed again. If she really liked him that much, it was only fair that she knew what she might be getting herself in for, right?

* * *

Unknown to Shikamaru's team, they weren't the only ninja on that path. Unknown to Shikamaru's team, they hadn't been the only ninja in Shinko Town either. Unknown to Shikamaru's team, three other ninja sat in the trees not even two hundred yards behind them.

Unknown to Shikamaru's team, those three ninja had been behind them ever since they'd first met on their way to Shinko Town.

"Your tracking jutsu is apparently successful," one of the three remarked in an unsurprised voice - excellence was what they had come to expect of each other, after all. "As was your tagging method."

"Yes," came the equally unsurprised reply. This second ninja presently sat with his eyes closed, hands pressed together as though he were in prayer, following Shikamaru's every step through his jutsu. In his mind's eye, a luminous red spot shone in an otherwise blackened surrounding – and this dot showed him the direction he could find Shikamaru in. The Chuunin's presence couldn't have been more obvious if he'd launched a flare into the sky.

"They tried to deceive us," the third ninja growled, his voice betraying irritation, rather than the calmness the other two showed. "We told them we'd kill them if they did."

"Not yet," the second ninja replied in that same tone of voice – not monotonous, but entirely without any emotional inflection.

"I agree," the first ninja stated, his voice changing to one of reasoned explanation. "They might be useful to us – these clues that they've found, as suspicious as they are, could lead to exactly what _we've_ been looking for. They do point in the same direction, after all."

The third ninja's voice took on a sharper tone, and he hissed angrily between his teeth, "Then we can follow on from their clues by ourselves! We don't need them!"

The second ninja finally released his jutsu and stood up on the branch he had been sat on, his voice still plain. "Even _they_ realised they may be walking straight into a trap. While I agree we don't need them, if they spring the trap for us, all we need to do is clean up afterwards."

"And besides," the first ninja added, before his more irate teammate could object. "If further investigation is required, people would be more willing to give them answers than us. We may be given the wrong information, or incomplete information, not to mention we'd be leaving a trail by which we could be followed."

The third ninja's voice grew sullen, almost sulky. While he couldn't deny that what his two companions were saying made sense, he still didn't like it. "And if they're on the wrong path?"

The second ninja, who had been staring off in the direction their quarry had been travelling, shrugged nonchalantly at this question before turning to face his team. "We'll see."

Without signal, the three leapt as one deeper into the trees.

* * *

"Ne, Shikamaru," Sakura called out, breaking the Chuunin out of his rather morbid train of thought. "What are we going to do later? I mean with finding the lair and all… we don't even know where it could be."

"I was just thinking that over," the boy replied airily. He knew he was lying through his teeth – that he was about to make the plan up on the spot – but sharing what he'd really been thinking wouldn't have done any good to anyone. "The mission was to locate Orochimaru's hideout, and to bring back anything that could be of the slightest use to Tsunade-sama, correct?"

The Chuunin didn't _need_ to ask this, but did so anyway to remind the team exactly what they were aiming to do, as well as to start himself down the right line of thought. When the other three nodded their agreement, he continued, "Obviously, then, the first thing we need to do is to find the lair. All that we know so far is that it might be west of Shinko Town, assuming Soin is related to the lair in any way, so we're going to have to follow that clue for now."

The others nodded acknowledgement of this once more, and the Chuunin pulled a map he'd purchased in Shinko Town out of his pocket, unrolling the scroll and gesturing to areas on it with one hand as he held it up with the other, still walking down the path. "For now, we're going to focus on this area," he explained, tracing a large circle on the map with one finger. "I'll break it down into eighteen regions, and we'll search each in pairs over the next nine days. After each day, we'll meet up again in the evening and report any findings, before camping together."

Again, the three ninja behind Shikamaru nodded, before a question came to Sakura's mind. "What if we don't find anything?" she enquired, sounding a little concerned. "Will we just keep on looking?"

The Chuunin shook his head. "We can only be away on this mission for so long – if, after those nine days, we've not found the lair or anything that might tell us where it is, we'll have to return to Konoha and report what we _have_ found – that at least one Sound-nin is in the fire country, and that a second possibly is too. If necessary, Tsunade-sama can send us on this mission again, but it's more likely that a more important assignment will have come up by then."

Sakura nodded at this, agreeing entirely with Shikamaru's reasoning, and a softer voice piped up from beside her. "Ano… Shikamaru-kun…" Hinata called quietly. "Wh… what are the teams going to be?" she asked, daring to risk a hopeful glance toward Naruto while the boy wasn't looking.

"I haven't decided yet," he answered honestly. "We can work that out tomorrow morning, before we head off."

Now that he paid thought to it, choosing the teams wouldn't be too easy. Each combination had its bonuses, after all – it made sense to keep Hinata and Sakura apart, as they were the most adept among the group at detecting sources of chakra, and Naruto and Hinata were the best fighters, so it made sense to split them up too, to protect the others. By that logic, Naruto would be best teamed with Sakura, and the added bonus of that was that they had experience together. On the other hand, that left him with Hinata, and they had the least experience together out of any pair. He was also aware of Hinata's affection for Naruto, and of developments between them recently – while he hadn't commented, he'd noticed it easily enough – and separating her from him could be extremely damaging to her morale, which would affect her performance on the mission.

One boy and one girl on each team. Practicality versus mentality.

The Chuunin sighed. If he got these teams wrong, there was no doubt that he'd hold himself personally responsible for any ill that might befall them. He had a feeling he'd be awake for quite a while tonight, trying to work out which way to go.

"Anyway," he eventually murmured with a soft puff. "We'd better get on and find somewhere in the forest to set up camp. The sun's nearly set, and I don't particularly want to put up the tents up by night."

* * *

Please review! 


	13. A Problem Shared

Disclaimer: You know the drill by now. Don't own anything relating to the Naruto copyright or characters.

Thanks again for the reviews, everyone, and a special thank you is reserved for Anime G33k for the help with this chapter. It made things a _lot_ easier, believe me!

(Also, yay for quick updates? This one just _leapt_ onto the screen!)

* * *

It hadn't taken long for the team to find a clearing large enough for both their tents, and they had quickly set about erecting them. Once that was done, Naruto had gone off to fetch some firewood while the others busied themselves preparing the campsite. After that, they had all eaten, and had retired for the night not long after.

Now, under the cover of darkness, an orange-clad ninja slipped out of his tent, pausing for a few moments to let his eyes adjust to what little moonlight could break through the canopy overhead and into the clearing. When he was satisfied he'd be able to make his way to the other tent without tripping on or disturbing anything, he tiptoed stealthily across the glade and unzipped the other tent's flaps almost silently.

It did briefly occur to him exactly how hard this might be to explain if he were caught right now, but he'd gone through it several times in his mind, and decided that the best time to tell Hinata his secret would be while the others were asleep – if they didn't know he wanted to tell her something privately, they couldn't ask about it. Further to that, tonight was probably a good time to get it out of the way too, rather than leaving her to find out later in the mission at a more critical moment.

He just had to hope he wasn't accused of being a pervert for going into their tent in the middle of the night.

Peering into the tent, Naruto cursed softly under his breath. All he could make out was two dark shapes – the moon was shining on his face from this direction, which meant that he was looking from light to dark, which in turn meant he couldn't see into the darkness clearly. The moon wasn't even illuminating the two girls in the tent, since it had insulation which prevented the light from getting through, as well as heat.

What Naruto would give to have the Byakugan ability right now…

Throwing caution to the wind, Naruto reached out and gently shook the closest figure's shoulder, deciding it was better to do that than lean right into the tent while they were both asleep. "Ne, Hinata-chan," he whispered softly, hoping he'd got the right person. "Wake up…"

The boy barely even managed to _start_ his cry of surprise as a back-fist suddenly swung at him from the darkness, landing square on the bridge of his nose and sending him sprawling backwards, clutching at his face with muffled groans of pain.

"Geez Naruto!" Sakura bellowed, clambering out of the tent in her sleeping garments and raising a fist at the now-cowering boy. "What do you think you're playing at?"

"Gomen, Sakura-chan…" Naruto blustered feebly, holding his hands up in front of him in a placating gesture. "I-I just needed to… talk to Hinata about something…"

"_Then why didn't you just wake us up instead of groping me?"_ the irate girl demanded, before throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

Turning and delving back into the tent, Sakura began grumbling as she gathered her things up. "I don't care… Just have the tent together, you can talk all you like then, and you won't be disturbing anyone else."

"W-W-WAIT! Sakura-chan!" the boy pleaded, his face turning red as he contemplated sharing a tent with a girl – a girl who had a crush on him, no less. "It's not like that! I swear! I just wanted to-"

Sakura, apparently heedless of Naruto's protests, dumped her belongings outside the other tent, before reaching in and tugging Naruto's out to make room for hers. "But I'm warning you…" she growled, before stomping back across the clearing and grabbing Naruto by the scruff of his jacket. "If you touch her in _any_ way, I'll see to it that Tsunade-sama has you neutered without anaesthetic before handing you over to Hiashi-sama, _understand?"_

"B-but, Sakura…"

The boy's protests again fell on deaf ears as Sakura stormed across the glade and to what had been Naruto's tent, before throwing her things in and zipping the flaps shut with an irritated, _"Goodnight,"_ leaving Naruto sat dumbstruck in the middle of the clearing.

A sleepy voice mumbled from the depths of a pillow as Sakura began to straighten her things out. "Are you sure that's wise?" Shikamaru asked, having been woken up by the shouting match. "Tsunade would hold you responsible too, you know…"

Sakura finished straightening everything up before answering, puffing softly as she flumped down onto her pillow. "He won't do anything," she murmured in reply. "I know he's not like that. I just had to make it look realistic – she won't stop talking about him, and as cute as it is, it's driving me mad. I'd only just gotten to sleep when he woke me up – I had to get away."

"Ah," Shikamaru replied in acknowledgement. "So it's only for your sanity? Not about match-making?"

A weighty pause followed this, before Sakura replied, "Well, that too. It is now, anyway."

"Ah. Goodnight."

* * *

Naruto stared uncertainly at the now-closed tent entrance that Sakura had disappeared through, before slowly climbing up to his feet and creeping over to where his things had been dropped. "Ne, Sakura…" he hissed quietly, his voice a little hopeful and a little pleading. "You're just kidding, right? It's okay, you can have your tent back now, I got the message…"

"Go _away!"_

Naruto jumped back a little as Sakura dashed his hopes. If voices could cause physical injury, those words would have clamped their teeth round his throat and suffocated him. He hesitated for a couple of moments, wondering whether he should risk asking again, before reluctantly dropping the subject. If Sakura were pissed at him, he'd probably be wiser to leave the subject well alone for now.

Scooping his belongings up, Naruto shuffled uncertainly across to the tent he was apparently now sharing with Hinata, peeking cautiously through the doorway to see if the girl was awake or not. "…Hinata…?"

The only response Naruto got was a sharp squeak of surprise, but that was confirmation enough that the girl was listening to him. "Uhm… you don't mind, do you…?" he asked awkwardly, glancing away and shuffling his feet. "'Cause, you know, I can just set my sleeping bag up out here, if you'd rather not share! It's no biggie!" he added hurriedly.

"A-ano… I-I don't m-mind, Naruto-kun…" Hinata stammered, quietly wishing the ground would swallow her up there and then and spare her this situation. "Y-you can't sleep outside, after all…"

Naruto smiled a little, before murmuring a word of gratitude and climbing into the tent, dumping his things in a free corner and spreading out his sleeping bag as close to the door as he could. "I'll just make sure I don't get too close…" he assured the girl in a low voice. "I mean, I'm sure you don't want me rolling over and squashing you in the night or something, ne?"

Hinata nodded silently at this, not realising that she herself was so mortified that she'd shuffled right back against the wall of the tent too, so that there was now almost room for a third person between them. While a small part of her protested that it would be nice to have Naruto closer – not that they'd _do_ anything; just maybe cuddle a little while they slept – the overwhelming majority of her self-awareness was currently a fuzzy jumble of words trying to make some sense of the situation she was now in. What exactly had just happened? Why had it happened? Was it for real? And, in the name of Kami-sama, _what was she supposed to do now?_

"Oh…" Naruto suddenly uttered, kneeling up and blinking widely. "I almost forgot…"

Naruto glanced in the general direction of the other tent, before beckoning to Hinata and leaning forward in an almost conspiratorial manner. "Hinata-chan," he called in a low voice, "Can I talk to you? Not here I mean… there's…"

The boy trailed off awkwardly, glancing down at his knees as he chewed lightly at his lower lip. "There's… something I need to tell you… but without them hearing it…"

The Hyuuga girl blinked curiously at this, frowning a little as she tried to guess what Naruto wanted to say, before swallowing thickly and nodding. "O-okay, Naruto-kun…" she replied. "But… what is it?"

The boy glanced in the direction of the other tent again, as if this would somehow tell him whether the other two might be listening in or not, before standing up and backing out of the tent. "Not here," he repeated, before pulling the tent's flaps together. "Once you're dressed, I'll show you."

Hinata almost felt her throat close up at Naruto's words, before realising he meant get dressed into something warmer, and not that she was exposing herself. With a sigh of relief, the girl quickly grabbed her clothes out of the corner and began pulling them on, leaving her pyjamas on underneath. It was quite a cold night, so she'd be glad of the extra warmth.

* * *

Hinata watched Naruto's face carefully as they hopped through the trees at what was, by their standards, quite a casual pace. The boy didn't say anything, though, and his face didn't register anything other than concentration, as he made sure he didn't miss the branches he was aiming to land on. The moonlight was once again blocked out by the canopy overhead, so he had to take a little extra time to make sure he judged the distances correctly.

That could have explained the slower speed, but Hinata was sure she could detect a little apprehension from Naruto too. Either he didn't _want_ to tell her what was on his mind, or he was still working out exactly what he was going to say. Given Naruto's usual chatty manner, the silence probably indicated deep thought, which would mean the latter.

Hinata, hoping to break the quiet, was about to ask how much further they had to go. Right as she opened her mouth, though, Naruto's face lit up a little, and he stopped on the next branch before hopping down onto the ground. "We're here," he called up to the girl.

Jumping down from her perch, Hinata walked along beside Naruto. Now that she didn't have the wind rushing by her ears, she could make out the sound of a trickle of water that didn't seem very far away. Peering forward, she could also see that the forest had a short break not even ten metres ahead, before the thick vegetation continued on to the horizon.

When they reached the brief open space, Hinata's eyes widened a little as she took in her surroundings. If they were older, she'd think Naruto was planning to propose to her – the scenery was just perfect for it. A small stream ran lazily along its course a couple of meters in front of them, and the full moon overhead illuminated the water, giving the otherwise cold and dark surface an iridescent shimmer as it snaked by. The sky was cloudless, and there were more stars visible from here than she'd ever seen from Konoha, now that there weren't any lights affecting her night vision, and she even fancied for a moment that she saw a shooting star streak by.

Turning to look questioningly at Naruto, Hinata saw he had already walked ahead and was sitting on a large, smooth rock that rested beside the stream, staring down at a small bunch of flowers between his feet that hadn't yet succumbed to the cold weather. The boy seemed contemplative, almost peaceful, and Hinata couldn't help a soft smile as she walked forward shyly, hesitating a moment before hopping up to sit on the rock next to him, which was what she guessed he wanted her to do.

After a few moments, she realised she was going to have to break the silence. "It's beautiful," she told him, gazing across the view in front of them. "I wish I had a camera so I could keep this scene with me…"

"Ah," Naruto agreed, a cloud of condensation from his breath appearing in front of him, indicating just how cold it really was. A small smile quirked the corners of his mouth up as he finally sat up before leaning back a little, propping himself up on his hands and gazing up at the sky. "I heard the water while I was getting the firewood earlier, so I thought I'd come and have a look." His glance fell back down to their more immediate surroundings, briefly lingering on the girl beside him as he gauged her mood, before he added, "It's nice and calm here, and I guess that's what we need…"

"For what you want to talk about, right?" Hinata confirmed, silently agreeing with Naruto. There was something about this place that _was_ calming – she hadn't even blushed while Naruto stared at her, and she hadn't stammered once yet. The whole atmosphere around her was peaceful and serene, and it seemed to affect her and Naruto too.

"Yeah…" the boy mumbled, before dropping his gaze. "See… there's a couple of things I need to tell you. First of all, I know your secret… about me. Sakura told me," he added.

"I…"

Hinata had been about to say 'I know' but realised just in time that Naruto didn't know this, and that _she_ wasn't supposed to know – she had been eavesdropping, after all. Swallowing a little, she quickly turned her voice to one of a little surprise and disappointment. "…oh…"

"I don't honestly know how I feel about you," Naruto told her after a couple of moments had passed. "When she told me, I knew almost nothing about you. Now that I know you a little better…"

Naruto gave Hinata a warm smile, a smile that was both honest and friendly. "You're really cool – you're a really nice girl, and really good fun to be around. I just…" The boy shrugged a little. "I guess it's still a lot to really get my head around…"

Hinata nodded at this, though she carefully kept her face neutral. She was a little saddened that Naruto hadn't just confessed he felt the same way, but he hadn't outright rejected her either, had he? In fact, he'd only said positive things about her, so maybe…

Was he struggling to get over the idea that she liked him, or was it more that he was just struggling to understand what he felt?

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata began, before the boy held up a hand to silence her.

"I still need to say one more thing," he told her. "Since I know your secret, it's only fair that you know mine, especially since you… like me…" Naruto mumbled these last two words in an almost embarrassed manner, ducking his head a little at the same time. Hinata had to suppress a giggle at the way he was obviously a little flustered by that.

"Mine's… a little bigger, though," he warned her, though he knew that was an extreme understatement. "So… you know, if you don't know what to say, you don't have to say anything right away…"

Hinata nodded her acknowledgement of this, before a thought suddenly struck her. 'Kami-sama, he's not gay, is he…?'

Naruto sighed deeply to calm himself, his breath clouding on contact with the air again, before continuing in a more solemn voice. "You know about the Kyuubi attacking Konoha all those years ago, don't you?"

Hinata made a soft sound of agreement at this, not daring to say anything more in case she broke Naruto's line of thought. There was no way she _couldn't_ know about it, with all she'd heard about it in the academy and at home when being told of the Hyuuga clan's prestigious role in the history of Konoha. For whatever he was saying to be related to that incident in any way, though, it had to be big. Mentally, she braced herself.

"Well… you remember how the Fourth sacrificed himself to seal the demon away? And how the demon's spirit was sealed into a new-born baby?"

Again, Hinata made the same sound of acknowledgement, though this time she felt her heart leap a little. Wherever Naruto was going with this, she could tell from his voice that what he was about to say scared even him.

"…I was born that day…"

Hinata felt her breath catch, and her eyes widened in shock. He didn't mean…?

"I'm the Kyuubi's vessel…"

Naruto tensed, and braced himself for the worst possible reaction he could imagine – for her to scream, to back away, to call him a monster and run off in tears. For her to look at him _that_ way, with the same cold eyes as all the adults in the village used to. After a few moments' silence, it dawned on him that maybe that wasn't about to happen. Hesitantly, he looked up from staring at his feet – not sure of exactly when he'd started doing that – and glanced across to Hinata. What he saw was something he hadn't expected.

If anything, the girl looked _crestfallen._ He'd expected shock, or fear, or confusion, or denial, or anything like that… but she seemed almost sad…

"So… that's why the adults were all like that?"

Naruto lowered his gaze again, and nodded mutely. "Yeah… I didn't even find out myself until I was twelve," he answered, his voice suddenly lacklustre. "Up until then, all I'd known was that I was alone… I didn't even know why."

"That's awful…" the girl murmured softly, swallowing thickly. "D-demo, Naruto-kun…" she added, trying to make herself sound brave as she looked up, her hand fisting and coming up in front of her chest as she tried to be strong. "It… it doesn't bother me…"

The boy looked up with surprise in his eyes, before smiling almost sadly and looking away again. "Hinata… you're trembling…"

The girl looked down at her hand, and saw that it was indeed quivering violently. Sighing softly, she lowered it again, ducking her head in shame. "A-alright… I won't lie, Naruto-kun… the thought of the Kyuubi being in you terrifies me…"

Sighing softly through his nose, Naruto closed his eyes and nodded. Somehow, he'd seen that-

"But…"

Blinking his eyes open, Naruto turned to look curiously at Hinata.

"I… It's not _you_ that I'm afraid of, Naruto-kun…" Hinata told him, a weak smile coming to her lips. "I'm… it's more, what if he breaks out… What would he do to the village, and what would he do to _you?_ You've only ever been a good, kind person, Naruto-kun, even with the Kyuubi… you're _not_ the Kyuubi, you're Uzumaki Naruto, and you'd do everything you could to stop him hurting anyone. But if he's inside you… I don't know what you could do to protect yourself."

Naruto stared at Hinata for… well, he didn't know how long. Only that he sat there all bug-eyed and with his jaw slack. Somehow, he didn't think she'd fully grasped the enormity of what he'd just told her… but she hadn't panicked, right?

"Hinata…" he murmured softly. "I…"

This time, it was Hinata's turn to hold a hand up to silence Naruto. She was still trembling a little, but Naruto suddenly sensed that little inner fire she had flaring up as she called on all her determination. " I won't try to tell you that Kyuubi doesn't matter at all… but…"

The girl's eyes shone a little, and she took a deep breath before smiling softly. "If he's a part of you, I'll just have to grow to love him too, won't I?"

A shocked silence fell over the two at this statement, and for a few seconds, they both simply stared at each other. Predictably, it was Naruto who broke the stillness, and in his usual overly loud fashion.

"_L-LOVE?"_ he cried out in shock. "D-did you just say _love?"_

"AH!"

Hinata shrieked in horror, and promptly pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them to hide her blush. "N-… no…" she mumbled, the sound muffled by her legs and her thick jacket. "I-I-I… I said…"

Naruto didn't catch any more of Hinata's protests, though, as he processed her last statement in his head again. She had _definitely_ said… the 'l' word… and that meant…

"Ne, Hinata…" he murmured softly, tapping her lightly on the shoulder when she refused to look up. After a moment, he shook her shoulder gently, and she eventually raised her head slightly so she could peek up at him from her knees with one eye. "You really mean that? That you can see I'm not a monster?"

Blinking softly, Hinata lifted her head, before giving Naruto a soft smile. "Hai," she agreed, turning to face Naruto more directly. "You're not the Kyuubi… you're Uzumaki Naruto of the Hidden Leaf Village… I've always acknowledged you as that…"

'You're Uzumaki Naruto… I've always acknowledged you…' 

These words echoed in Naruto's mind, and before he could help himself, he felt his eyes beginning to well up. "Hinata…" he uttered in a cracked voice, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. "Th-… thank you…"

Whether he was thanking her for acknowledging him, for not running away, or just for making him feel better, Hinata didn't know. As she watched him wiping at his eyes furiously as the tears threatened to spill over, though, she was reminded of the little boy she'd seen crying on his own so many times when he was younger, when the adults would glare coldly at him before telling their children never to go near 'that little monster' again. She'd always wanted to hug him then, to tell him to stop crying, but the one time she'd said anything about it, her father had simply glowered at her and pulled her away, leaving Naruto just as helpless as ever.

Well… once couldn't make up for over ten years of being alone, but it was a start, right?

Shuffling across the rock, Hinata sat close beside Naruto and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, feeling her cheeks warm a little as she pulled him into a protective hug. Somehow, she didn't feel faint, flustered or embarrassed – instead, the moment just felt _right._ Smiling gently, Hinata gave Naruto a soft squeeze, and whispered a few simple words in his ear.

"It's okay… you're not alone any more…"

It was only then that the waterworks really started, and Naruto found himself clinging onto that source of warmth and kindness as tightly as he dared, his body shaking softly as his tears escaped him. He'd told Inari long ago that it was okay to cry if you were happy… and Naruto hadn't felt this happy for a long time.

* * *

Even though I say so myself... Aww!

Please review, and preferably with constructive criticism – this was an important scene, so please let me know if I got it right!


	14. Cold Nights

Disclaimer: (Insert amusing 'I own nothing' quote of your choice here)

Thank you all once again for all your reviews, and… eh heh… it looks like I have a small apology to make. It would seem I made a little slip in the last chapter, in that Hinata wouldn't know the Kyuubi had been sealed as the children of the village are – apparently – told that the Fourth killed him. If that is the case, I apologise profusely, and shall bear it in mind in future.

So… sorry?

…actually, I feel the need to make a second apology while I'm at it. The first half of this chapter didn't go half as well as I'd hoped, and I think I took them a little too far OOC. I tried to fix it, hence the later-than-usual update, but it just didn't want to work. So I apologise for that too – if they _are_ too OOC for your liking, just consider it a semi-omakefan service piece, slap my wrists, and be done with it. I _am_ still new to writing in this fandom, after all!

(And we'll ignore the fact that ff-dot-net hasn't let me upload documents for _days_ too, because we're nice like that...)

On with the fic!

* * *

Naruto and Hinata returned to the campsite at a much more leisurely pace than they'd left at, taking the time to walk through the forest and talk quietly with each other. The subject of the Kyuubi wasn't brought up, and nor were Hinata's affections for Naruto discussed – instead, they spoke about everything and anything that came to mind, from childhood memories of watching the stars to their preferred foods to what Tsunade might _really_ look like without her appearance-changing jutsu (the latter of which left Hinata in fits of giggles as Naruto did his best 'withered old hag' impression). On some level, they were probably doing it simply to relax after that revelation, but consciously, it just felt like the natural thing to do. 

Their conversation only tailed off once they'd reached the clearing in which they'd been camping. While they knew perfectly well that they had nothing to hide, it would still be easier to not have to answer any questions about where they'd been at whatever-o'-clock in the morning. They stole silently across the glade and into their tent, certain they hadn't disturbed or woken the other two, and only dared to release breaths they hadn't realised they'd been holding once Naruto had zipped the flaps shut.

"Made it," Naruto remarked with a bright grin, before flopping down onto his sleeping bag with a groan. "Geez, I'm gonna regret missing this much sleep tomorrow though…"

Hinata made a soft noise of agreement, yawning a little, before shuffling across to her sleeping bag and removing her jacket, folding it neatly and setting it to one side. She opted to keep her other clothes on, both for the sake of decency and because the tent was currently as cold inside as it was out, since they'd left the flaps open. Slipping into her sleeping bag and bundling the fabric up tightly around her, Hinata couldn't help a soft squeak as the cold material brushed against her skin.

"Hmm?"

Naruto glanced across at the girl in surprise at the sudden noise, before grinning knowingly. "Cold, Hinata-chan?"

The girl managed a weak smile, and answered, "Just a little…" In truth, she was colder now than she had been _before_ she'd climbed into the sack, but she was working on the assumption that it'd warm up soon enough due to her body heat. What she hadn't expected, though, was for Naruto to thrust a large orange bundle toward her.

"Here," he told her with that same smile on his face, unrolling the package to reveal his jacket, which he had tossed aside moments before. "Wrap this round you; it should keep you warm enough."

Hinata found herself staring blankly at the jacket for a moment, as if trying to work out what it was, before sitting up and shyly reaching out to take it. "A-arigatou, Naruto-kun…" she smiled gratefully, opening her sleeping bag up and wrapping the jacket round her shoulders. Sure enough, the thick coat warmed her up almost immediately – the fact that it was still warm from Naruto wearing it helped, of course – and she couldn't help burrowing into it a little as she laid down again, gently inhaling the scent that lingered on it.

Forests, she decided as she sniffed quietly at it again. Forests with a hint of miso – that's what Naruto's jacket smelt like, aside from the comforting smell of his own body.

"Is that better, Hinata-chan?"

The girl smiled at Naruto and nodded, bundling the jacket a little more tightly round herself. "Un – arigatou," she thanked him again. "Goodnight, Naruto-kun."

"Goodnight," the boy returned with a smile, before lying down and closing his eyes, ready to drift away to the land of dreams. After a few moments, though, he heard a soft shuffling sound beside him, and glanced across to see what it was. Much to his surprise, he was sure his sleeping partner was closer to him now than she had been a minute ago. "Hinata?"

The Hyuuga girl squeaked softly, blushing brightly at getting caught, before stammering her way through an explanation. "I-I was still a l-little cold, a-and thought… maybe, i-if I were a little closer…"

Hinata trailed off, unsure of quite how she should finish her story, and averted her eyes shyly, even feeling a little ashamed – firstly for getting caught, and secondly for what might have been misunderstood as trying to take advantage of Naruto while he was asleep. She hadn't been planning to _do_ anything, after all – she'd just wanted to be a little closer to him, to assure herself that they didn't feel awkward around each other and weren't intentionally avoiding contact – but he might not see it that way. She began to gently gnaw at her lower lip as she worried about what he might say or do, her mind – as always – presenting her with the worst-case scenario.

What she _hadn't_ expected was to feel a warm set of arms wrap around her. She tensed a little in surprise, before lifting her head cautiously, looking up into Naruto's face, which was now inches from hers.

"You'll be warm enough now," the boy told her with a smile. "And don't worry, I won't try anything – there's two sleeping bags in between us anyway."

A little hesitantly, Hinata nodded at this, before smiling and closing her eyes, shuffling a little closer to Naruto and relaxing, deciding that whether this evening had all been a dream or not – and she was beginning to suspect it was – she wasn't going to complain. Barely a minute later, the much slower rise and fall of her chest told Naruto that she had fallen asleep.

The blonde-haired boy, however, was now further from sleep than he had been all night. He didn't doubt that his sudden embrace had surprised Hinata, but in truth, it had caught _him_ off-guard too. It had simply been an impulsive reaction, something he hadn't thought about before doing it… but that wasn't what bothered him. Impulses were nothing new to him, after all – a lot of his battle strategies revolved around them, for one – but he usually _understood_ them. Usually, he'd realise what he'd done a second after he'd done it, and would immediately know whether it had been a good or bad idea and exactly what had led him to do that.

This time, Naruto wasn't sure what to make of his actions. Was it a good idea because he was giving Hinata a pleasant memory (Naruto had seen through her lie immediately, knowing well that his jacket could stand up to arctic conditions if needed), or a bad idea because he might be misleading her? In the morning, would she smile and blush at the thought of having spent the night in his arms, or be disappointed because she'd hoped it might be a sign of something more?

More importantly, why _had_ he done it? That was something Naruto couldn't fathom at all – he'd known she wasn't cold, so it couldn't be that. He wasn't looking to take advantage of her like Ero-Sennin might, so it wasn't that either. He'd never had an urge to cuddle up to Sasuke whenever they'd shared a tent (Naruto couldn't help making a face at this thought), so it wasn't caused by their close proximity or him feeling a need to be shown he was accepted…

So what the hell was it?

Naruto puffed softly in exasperation, already tired of trying to second-guess himself when he didn't know what the answer was. "Whatever…" he murmured discontentedly, as if trying to shrug the matter off. He could always worry about it when there were less important things at hand – right now, their mission (and getting enough sleep for it) had to take priority.

'Emotionless tools and all that crap' he reminded himself, before removing one arm from around Hinata as he tried to roll over to sleep. The almost startled gasp that came from the sleeping girl at this surprised him, the sound equally as urgent as it was soft, and after a moment, he cottoned on to what she was protesting about.

"…alright," he conceded with a smile, and rolled back onto his side, draping his arm loosely round her again. "But this is only for tonight, you hear?" he added in a whisper, chuckling to himself. The content murmuring sound that answered him was agreement enough, he decided, and with a sigh he tried to settle down to sleep too. The haze of slumber crept over him faster than he'd expected, and he found himself regarding Hinata with weary eyes as he drifted off. The last thing he remembered was looking at the Hyuuga girl's peaceful face and smiling gently, a single thought floating through his mind as he closed his eyes for the last time that night.

'Actually, she's kinda pretty…'

* * *

_Slap slap slap._

"Hey! You two!"

_Slap slap slap._

"Aren't you awake yet?"

A soft groan came from the sleeping pair as Hyuuga Hinata's dreams were interrupted by the insistent slapping on the front of their tent and the sound of Sakura's voice.

"Oi! Are you two awake or not?"

Slowly, it dawned on Hinata that she was supposed to be up and about by now. They had to continue their mission, and had many days' searching ahead of them. Sleeping late wouldn't do anyone any good, would it?

"Mmm… I'll be out in a moment…" Hinata eventually managed to reply, before sighing regretfully. She usually wasn't too bothered about staying in bed, but she was so warm and comfy today, and she was sure that Naruto's soothing smell was close by…

Oh. Yes. He'd lent her his jacket last night, hadn't he? That'd explain it.

With another gentle groan, Hinata pushed herself up into a sitting position, rubbing at her eyes – or tried to, at least. She only got as far as trying to move her arms, before she realised they were restricted by something.

'What on Earth…?'

Blinking her eyes open, Hinata took a moment to focus on what was lying in front of her. A mass of something yellow… something skin-coloured below it… it looked head-shaped…

A shrill squeak escaped Hinata as she finally realised exactly what was pinning her arms in front of her, her full memory of the night before coming back to her. The girl's eyes widened further as she realised that she hadn't been dreaming – that she really had fallen asleep in Naruto's arms – and a vibrant blush spread across her whole face as it dawned on her just how close they actually were, sleeping bags between them or not.

"Nnn… Morning, Hinata-chan…" Naruto's voice greeted her as he half-opened his eyes, looking a little blearily at her before favouring her a soft smile. "Sleep well?"

Hinata suddenly felt like the metaphorical cat had quite literally gotten her tongue (as well as feeling incredibly light-headed), and stuttered badly as she tried to formulate any sort of reply for Naruto. "A-a-ano, uh-uhm, a-ah, I-I, ah…"

The boy chuckled softly, before taking his arm away from its snug hold around her, rolling over onto his back. "I guess we'd better get up, ne? Sakura-chan'll make us skip breakfast if we're much later."

"H-… Hai…" Hinata agreed almost inaudibly, nodding softly. She was somehow unable to move in any other way, though.

"Uhm… Hinata…" Naruto began, his voice a little softer than usual and almost sounding embarrassed. "You're still laying on my arm…"

"AH!"

Hinata suddenly found her body was able to spring into action, and was sat a few feet away from Naruto before she'd even realised she'd moved. "Gomen!" she cried softly, looking almost mortified. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"Ne, ne, daijoubu…" Naruto assured the girl, stretching with one arm before pushing himself up into a sitting position. "It's no prob- _GAH!"_

Naruto's sentence was cut off with a cry of surprise as he suddenly tipped over to one side, tumbling into an awkward heap. Groaning in embarrassment, he tried to push himself up again, but stopped short as he saw his arm flopping uselessly by his side. "WH-WHAT THE HELL? _I CAN'T FEEL MY ARM!"_

A moment of panic suddenly came over Naruto. What had happened? Was it broken? Had Hinata accidentally closed his tenketsu during the night? Had it been possessed or something? Was it-?

The boy twitched suddenly as feeling returned to the limb sharply – in quite a literal sense. "Itaitaitaitaitai!" he wailed, clutching at the appendage and rubbing it furiously. "Pins and needles!"

Hinata, who had been panicking almost as much as Naruto at his initial exclamation, first looked concerned, then embarrassed, then even managed to giggle a little. "Gomen, Naruto-kun…" she apologised, bringing a hand up to her mouth to hide her smile as the boy continued to whine softly. "I think that's my fault…"

"Oi! You two!" Sakura called again, sounded a little more irritated this time. "Come on! Stop messing about!"

* * *

Hinata had left the tent almost immediately, somewhat regretfully leaving Naruto's jacket behind, and Naruto had followed once his arm had returned to some semblance of working normally. It still tingled when he moved his fingers, but at least it was now able to function when he wanted it to. He was a bit clumsier than usual eating his ramen, his chopsticks occasionally slipping, but that didn't deter him from ploughing through his breakfast at his usual speed. 

"A-are you sure your arm's okay now, Naruto-kun?" Hinata enquired softly, a look of concern in her eyes. She'd had a pretty much permanent blush on her face since she'd left their tent, but it was finally beginning to settle.

"Hai!" Naruto replied brightly around a mouthful of noodles, before swallowing them and grinning. "I'll be right as rain in a couple of- Ow!"

The boy nearly dropped his breakfast as Sakura leaned across and punched him in the arm, setting his bowl down and rubbing at the spot with a half-glower. "What was that for?"

"Just increasing your blood flow for a while," the girl answered sweetly. "Pins and needles is caused by blood suddenly flowing into an area that's been deprived of it for a while – if more blood gets through, it'll be over with faster. I used my chakra to expand the artery a little."

"But why did you have to punch me?" the boy groused in reply. "Couldn't you have just used that glowing hand thing you do?"

"It's more fun that way," Sakura informed the boy in that same sugary-sweet voice. "And that'll teach you not to take advantage of sleepy girls too – 'Hinata, you're still laying on my arm!'" she mimicked.

Both Naruto and Hinata flushed brightly at this teasing, Hinata prodded her fingers together and staring down at her feet while Naruto glanced aside. "I-It wasn't like that…" he informed Sakura defensively, huffing.

"Anyway," Shikamaru cut in, sensing that their discussion would probably escalate into an insulting match if he let it go on too long. "If we're all done eating-" He glanced pointedly at Naruto, who hurriedly scooped his bowl up and resumed shovelling his instant ramen into his mouth. "-we need to continue with this mission. We still need to sort the teams out, as well as confirming the order we'll search the regions in and where we'll meet each night."

"Ha! No worries!" Naruto responded, setting his bowl down with a satisfied sigh. "Me and Hinata work the best together, so we'll go on one team! Ne, Hinata-chan?"

Naruto made a point of ignoring the smug look on Sakura's face, facing the other way so he could see what Hinata thought. The girl initially looked startled, but hurriedly nodded at this proposition. While she appeared fairly calm on the outside, inside she was almost bouncing with joy. She'd possibly have nine whole days of just her and Naruto-kun? Could things get any better?

"Don't worry, Shikamaru," the blonde boy added with a grin. "I'm sure Sakura's genjutsu will keep you safe if anyone tries to attack you!"

The Chuunin almost face-faulted at this, but managed to keep himself in check. "I'm sure Hinata will protect you too," he returned, sounding almost bored with the discussion already. He would have taken a leaf out of Sasuke's book and added 'dobe' to the end of that sentence, but the resultant yelling from Naruto would have been too troublesome to deal with. "But since the teams are apparently settled, let's carry on."

The Chuunin glanced at Sakura to make sure she had no objection to teaming up with him, before spreading the map he'd bought in Shinko Town on the floor. "Here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

Translations: 

Itaitaitaitaitai! – 'Itai' meaning 'ow', this would translate as 'Owowowowow!'

* * *

In case any of you have never experienced it – try sleeping awkwardly on your arm tonight so you cut off the blood flow, and for a few minutes in the morning you too can be subjected to the feeling of a truly dead arm! 

Please review! (And I promise there'll be some plot advancement in the next chapter!)


	15. A Key Discovery

Disclaimer: Same as always. I own no rights to the Naruto fandom whatsoever – even my right to continually re-watch 'that' episode is currently being disputed in court.

Yes, you know which episode I mean… 'That' one.

On with the fic!

* * *

The team of Konoha ninja had reached their third day of searching, without success. Each day, they had scoured neighbouring regions, to ensure the two groups weren't far from each other, but had yet to find anything worth reporting to anyone else when they met up again in the evenings. Rather than giving detailed reports and forming plans like Naruto had hoped, their discussions around their campfire had consisted of just about anything else that came to mind. Hinata and Sakura had talked about the various medicinal herbs in the forest for a while, and on the second night, Shikamaru had entertained them all with a ghost story, which – as it turned out – he had quite a knack for. Naruto and Hinata had both ended up clinging to each other during the tenser moments, and even Sakura had shivered uncomfortably a few times.

However, while relaxing around a campfire was all well and good, it didn't get the mission completed. The team had been sleeping and awakening earlier than usual, in order to get the most out of the hours of daylight available to them, but their search had so far turned up nothing. Sakura had begun to wonder if they were on a wild goose chase – surely, if there were anyone nearby, there'd have been _some_ sort of clue by now? – while the frustration inside Naruto had built up to a point where he almost began seething when he allowed himself to brood on the subject.

"Geez, how're we supposed to find _anything?"_ Naruto demanded of the world in particular as he scowled at the forest floor from the branch he stood on. "We don't even know what we're searching for! The entrance to that snake-bastard's lair could be a hidden trapdoor, or a secret door in a tree, or anything!"

Hinata released her Byakugan for a moment, turning to look at Naruto with slightly saddened eyes. She couldn't imagine how horrible it must be for him, knowing that they could be just a few feet from a clue to his friend's location without even realising it, but she knew that if he let himself get worked up so much, he'd be less likely to spot any that did turn up.

"W-we just have to… keep looking…" she offered shyly, hopping across from her branch to the one her companion stood on and standing a little way from him. "I-if we don't know what it is, we just have to look harder, ne?"

Hinata could see that this answer didn't satisfy Naruto, and she desperately sought out anything else that might help. She had never seen Naruto this frustrated by a mission before – she'd heard stories about how he'd gotten annoyed in past missions, yes, but now he was starting to sound like he was ready to sulk and just throw in the towel, which wasn't like him at all.

'…that might be it…' she suddenly realised. 'He _doesn't_ quit…'

Hinata moved a little closer to Naruto and, after a moment's hesitation, reached out with one hand and placed it gently on his shoulder. "I know this is hard for you, Naruto-kun…" she began softly, glancing away before forcibly correcting herself and lifting her head to make eye contact with the blonde ninja. "But we… we can't give up, right?" she implored him. "What about your ninja way, and your promise to Sakura?"

For a moment, the irritation remained on Naruto's face, and Hinata began to worry that she'd said something wrong. Much to her relief, though, the boy's face softened a little, and while he still looked disgruntled, she could see that he was a little calmer than he had been. "You're right, Hinata-chan," he eventually admitted in a surprisingly humble voice, before brightening up and flashing her his trademark foxy grin. "Sulking isn't gonna bring Sasuke-teme back, is it?"

Hinata felt a small spark of delight inside her, her spirit perking up along with Naruto's, and she nodded her agreement with a new determination in her eyes. "Un!"

Naruto, who also seemed to have a fresh resolve, brought his hands up into a familiar seal, making a cross shape from his fingers. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Immediately, four clones appeared around Naruto with a small puff of smoke, each facing him as they awaited instructions.

"Alright!" the boy declared boisterously. "We don't know what we're looking for, but we need to find it! Go out and search for anything suspicious!"

This instruction was greeted with a unified cry of, "Yoshi!" from the clones, and all four of them leapt off in different directions, scouring the ground before them for anything that could be a clue. The real Naruto remained behind with Hinata, and once his clones were out of sight, turned and gave her a thumbs-up. "Alright! Let's go, Hinata-chan!"

Nodding again, Hinata swiftly activated her Byakugan, veins popping up around her eyes once more, and the two leapt off into the foliage, continuing their search with bright enthusiasm.

* * *

"Hmm…"

Shikamaru knelt down beside the footprints Sakura had discovered, in order to get a better look at them. They certainly hadn't made the prints – if the feet were in proportion to the owner's body, they'd be at least six foot tall – but that in itself didn't tell them too much.

It'd be more helpful if they had Kiba and Akamaru with them at this moment in time, he reflected inwardly. They'd probably be able to tell for sure how fresh the prints were, how big the person who left them was, what gender they were and maybe even what they'd had for breakfast. More importantly, of course, they'd be able to track whoever it was by following the scent. As it was, the few footprints on the ground – probably from when whoever it was had dropped to the floor and leapt up into the trees again – didn't tell them much, other than the direction the person was going at the time. Even that could be misleading, as they could have veered onto a different course immediately after leaping back up into the foliage. They could even have _intentionally_ left those footprints as a misleading clue.

"They're definitely fairly recent though…" he mused out loud, pointing first to the prints and then the mud immediately beside them. "The ground hasn't had time to go 'stale' again, so they look fresher than the surrounding area." The Chuunin then picked up a broken twig that lay a little further ahead, turning it over in his hands thoughtfully as he examined it. "This has been snapped recently too."

Shikamaru stood up, sighing as he weighed out whether or not to travel in the same direction as the prints led. It was certainly a potential clue, but following 'potential' clues was starting to get tiresome. Something a little more solid wouldn't go amiss around about now.

He was spared having to make a decision as a bright flash in the sky caught his attention. Both he and Sakura turned to face it, and the pink-haired girl smiled knowingly as she guessed who had fired it. "Come on," she called, leaping up into the treetops and striking out in a straight line in the direction the flare had been fired from. "Naruto's found something!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at this assertion, but followed Sakura nevertheless. "How can you be so sure?" he enquired somewhat curiously.

The kunoichi gave her leader a meaningful look. "Who else would fire a neon orange flare in the middle of the day when potentially surrounded by enemies?"

Shikamaru considered this reasoning for a moment, before grunting his agreement. "Let's go."

* * *

Naruto stood halfway up a tall tree, holding onto the trunk with one hand as he leaned this way and that, trying to spot anything that looked to be out of the ordinary – a patch of grass that was a slightly different shade to the rest, or a clump of bushes that were arranged a little too neatly to be natural, or anything of the sort. Grunting in annoyance when he decided there was nothing there, he hopped across to the next tree, staring off in the opposite direction, peering this way and that in the hope of finding something over there.

Hinata, meanwhile, was stood far higher up than Naruto, using her Byakugan to scan as wide an area as she could. Every so often, her head would turn sharply as she saw something that might have been a clue, the veins around her eyes bulging further as she intensified her bloodline limit, but this action was followed by a disappointed sigh every time, before she resumed her wide-range search again. She could tell from Naruto's occasional cursing that he wasn't having any luck either, but she couldn't help smiling a little whenever his voice came her way. He was more frustrated about not finding anything now, rather than not knowing what to look for, and that frustration was only spurring him on, making him look more carefully in case he did miss something.

"HA!"

Hinata jumped a little as Naruto's triumphant yell came from below her, deactivating her Byakugan as the blonde called up to her. "Hinata! I've found some- _GAH!"_

Not sure why Naruto had suddenly cried out, the Hyuuga girl leapt down from her vantage point, rapidly hopping from branch to branch in case the youth was in trouble. She paused as he came into sight, though, and couldn't help giggling a little at his misfortune.

Pinned to a tree by two kunai, Naruto had evidently managed to snatch a third out of the air as it flew at him, the blade hovering an inch from his face with his fingers wrapped around the hilt. "Ano… ne, Hinata-chan…" he began weakly, sounding a little embarrassed as he realised he'd just sprung a trap that someone must have set a very long time ago, going by the condition of the kunai. "You couldn't help me down, could you?"

With a smile, Hinata nodded, hopping down from the last branch and walking calmly across to Naruto, tugging the two kunai out of the tree and dropping them to the floor as she admonished him softly. "Y-you should be more careful, Naruto-kun…"

"Yeah… thanks, Hinata-chan…" the boy returned, before throwing away the third kunai with a snort. "I just… got carried away, that's all…"

The two ninja took a short break after that little incident, both quietly grateful for a few minutes to rest, before moving on to continue their search again. Barely five minutes later, it was Hinata's turn to call out in delight as she spotted something in the distance.

"Naruto-kun!"

The boy glanced up from where he'd been searching, before utilising the technique Kakashi had taught him and running up the trunk of the tree Hinata was in. When he got to the top beside her, he could see she was almost quivering with excitement, and she was pointing out toward the distance with one trembling hand. "O-over there," she uttered quietly, almost as if she didn't dare believe it. "There's a big concentration of chakra, but it's not a person…"

"Alright!" Naruto cried, punching the air excitedly before grabbing hold of Hinata's hand to pull her along. "Let's go!"

* * *

When they reached the source, Naruto frowned in confusion, staring at the bare, almost-vertical hillside in front of them. "Huh? Are you sure this is it, Hinata-chan?"

The girl activated her Byakugan again, and nodded definitely. To her special vision, the entire rocky wall was practically bursting with chakra – it was either reinforced, or a genjutsu. When she relayed this to Naruto, the boy asked, "Do you think you can dispel it?"

The Hyuuga girl chewed her lower lip uncertainly, before forcibly stopping that old nervous habit and setting her jaw firmly. "I-I'll try," she retuned, and brought her fingers up into the seal they'd been taught in the academy. "Kai!"

The two waited hesitantly for a moment, before Hinata sighed disappointedly. "It's too high-level for me…" she conceded, before forming the seal again to try once more anyway. Unfortunately, it was to no avail.

"I guess we need Sakura then…" Naruto decided, before slipping his backpack off and beginning to rummage through it. "She's better with genjutsu than the rest of us."

Hinata nodded at this, before blinking in surprise as Naruto pulled a flare gun out of his pack. "I-is that wise, Naruto-kun?" she enquired hesitantly, eyeing the contraption. "I mean, if the enemy are nearby…"

"Well, we don't know where they are, do we?" Naruto countered, touting the flare gun triumphantly. He had remembered Iruka-sensei saying one day that they were useful pieces of ninja equipment in the right situations, and in Naruto's mind, this was definitely a Right Situation. "And shouting would only achieve the same thing – perhaps even less, if they're too far away to hear us but the enemy aren't."

Hinata nodded uncertainly at this reasoning, though in the back of her mind she still had doubts. Wouldn't it be better if they went and searched for their teammates instead, rather than risking drawing unwanted attention? Or would that just waste valuable time that would be better spent searching? After all, it could take hours to actually _find_ Shikamaru and Sakura – they might even have to wait until sundown, when they met at the campsite.

The girl's thoughts were interrupted as Naruto called for her to stand back, before raising the gun over his head and pointing it up in the air. "Here goes!"

The blonde ninja squeezed the trigger on his gun, before blinking in confusion as nothing happened. He tried again, but once more the flare failed to launch.

"_What the hell?" _the boy demanded, lowering his arm to examine the device with an irritated growl. "What's wrong with it?"

As Naruto squeezed the trigger again, Hinata spotted the problem. "Naruto-kun, you've left the safety on…"

As she said this, Hinata leaned forward to correct the obstruction. Unfortunately, Naruto squeezed the trigger at almost exactly the same time, and it was only thanks to ninja-quick reflexes that the two managed to avoid getting a concussion as the projectile launched skywards. They both watched in awe as the flare burst in a cascade of light, the flash bright enough to overpower the daylight for a brief moment, before looking at each other as they wondered what to do next.

"Well…" Naruto began after a moment, before settling down on the floor in a cross-legged position. "I guess we wait."

* * *

Fortunately for Naruto and Hinata, their teammates hadn't been too far away, and had joined them within fifteen minutes. Hinata had quickly explained to them what her Byakugan had revealed, and the party now stood in silence as Sakura formed the same seal with her hands that Hinata had earlier, focusing and moulding her chakra as she prepared to attempt to dispel the genjutsu.

The pink-haired kunoichi released a soft breath before opening her eyes, watching the wall in front of them with steely intent. "Kai!"

Four ninja caught their breath as they waited to see whether or not Sakura's efforts to dispel the genjutsu would work or not. At first, they could see no change in the wall, and their hearts began to sink a little, but after what seemed like an eternity (which in reality was only a matter of seconds), the hillside before them began to waver before fading away, first growing a little dimmer, then turning translucent, then fading to nothing, revealing the cave that had been hidden behind it.

"Alright!" Naruto cried out, punching the air and laughing in delight. "That was awesome, Sakura-chan!"

"Oi," Shikamaru called warningly. "Not so loud. We don't know who's waiting in there, and we can't afford to give away any chance of surprising them."

Sakura couldn't help a small smile at Naruto's praise, glad that – for once – she'd been able to do something to _really_ help the party on their mission, but nodded her agreement with Shikamaru all the same. "We're supposed to be stealthy, remember?" she reminded Naruto, though her tone was far less scolding than the boy was used to in such situations.

As Naruto apologised sheepishly, Shikamaru walked toward the cave entrance, kneeling down to examine the ground. Sure enough, there were signs of footprints there, though none of them looked especially fresh, and the mud gave way to bare rock very quickly – rock which, in places, showed signs of having been crafted to its current shape.

"Alright," he called to the others, standing up again and turning to address them, assuming his leadership role more fully than usual. "It looks like this is what we've been searching for. We'll have to be even more careful than usual in there, because we don't know what to expect. Given that Orochimaru presumably worked here, it's likely to be very well-protected, so be on your guard."

The Chuunin gave each of the ninja a meaningful glance. "Make sure all your things are together properly. We're going in."

* * *

Translations:

Teme – Bastard  
Yoshi – Yeah

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Please review! 


	16. Into the depths

Disclaimer: Same old same old. I don't even own the computer this was typed on, since I write during my lunch break at work!

* * *

The wide cave entrance soon tapered into a much smaller tunnel that had evidently been carved into the earth, and it was this tunnel that the team of ninja from Konoha now made their way down. They were in almost total darkness, so Hinata led the way, using her Byakugan to make out the walls and search the path in front of them for any enemies or traps. The tunnel was on a gentle downward slope, and occasionally turned corners and had dips in the path or beams overhead to support the ceiling. Because of this, Shikamaru had quickly devised a system of alerts that Hinata could send silently using her Jyuuken technique. A soft chakra 'flare' from either hand would indicate a corner, while a sharp spike in her chakra would indicate an obstacle – she'd raise the hand above her head to warn of a beam, and keep it low by her side to warn of a dip. The other ninja would then know to move more cautiously past that area. Unfortunately, Naruto's clumsiness did them no favours, and he stumbled more than once.

"Gah!" Naruto cried out as he tripped and fell face-first onto the rocky floor, only just remembering in time that he had to be as quiet as possible and muffling his voice.

A softly-hissed 'Shh!' from Sakura, followed by being hauled roughly to his feet, was the closest Naruto got to anything by way of sympathy. "Dammit, be more careful!" the girl snarled under her breath, glowering at Naruto in the darkness. "If you make noise, they might-"

"Hey!" Naruto butted in, his voice barely louder than Sakura's. "It's not like I can see in the dark! You think I'm tripping on pur-"

A sharp chakra flare from Hinata caught the group's attention, and her soft 'Shh' barely reached their ears. With her family's abilities, her natural grace and tendency to be quiet anyway, she was certainly better equipped than the rest for this sort of mission. "There's a large room ahead," she informed the group in a low voice. "It's got lots of small patches of chakra in it, and I think it has lighting too…"

"Could it be his working area?" Shikamaru enquired quietly.

There was a short silence after this question as Hinata used her Byakugan to scout again, before she shook her head in the darkness. "No… it's far too big," she decided. "There's lots of walls though…"

Shikamaru was glad that none of the others could see the face he made at that information. Even by his standards, it sounded like they were about to enter by far the most troublesome part of the mission. "Let's carry on," he decided, before following Hinata's gentle chakra flare around the next corner.

After following the narrow corridor some way further, the group eventually spotted a faint light at the end of the tunnel, and began to hurry on toward it after Hinata declared the rest of the path to be clear going. Their enthusiasm was soon dashed, however, when they finally left the passageway and came to a stop on the ledge it led to.

"_NANI?"_ Naruto cried out loud as he took in the vast, expansive room before them. _"Why the hell would he build a labyrinth there?"_

"It's his secret lair – he wouldn't want to make it easy to get to, would he?" Shikamaru replied, sounding bored with the discussion already, before heading on to a path that led down from the ledge to the labyrinth. "We'd best get started, anyway – I don't particularly want to be down her any longer than can be helped."

* * *

It was only once they stood by the entrance to the labyrinth that the ninja realised just how big it really was. The walls stood at least fifteen feet high, and looked to be composed of solid rock several feet thick. For someone with Tsunade's strength, breaking straight through them to the centre of the labyrinth might have been an option, but the team there at that moment in time certainly couldn't achieve such a feat.

"What about going over it?" Naruto wondered out loud. "The ceiling's high enough for us to just walk along the tops of the walls."

"I'd guess Orochimaru has some means of preventing that," Shikamaru replied. "But feel free to try, if you must."

Grinning, Naruto gave his leader a quick salute, before directing his chakra to the soles of his feet and charging at the wall. Hopping lightly up onto it, Naruto began sprinting up the vertical surface, his feet making a steady 'tap-tap-tap' sound as they made light contact with the wall.

Suddenly, Hinata's eyes widened. "Naruto-kun!"

The boy stopped just before the top, and began to turn to see what Hinata wanted. Before he had even moved his head a fraction of the way round, though, two kunai suddenly shot straight past him, almost close enough to add two new marks to those already present on his cheeks – he could swear he even felt a slight breeze as they passed by.

Crying out in surprise, Naruto slipped off the wall and fell to the floor with a heavy thud, groaning in pain as he sat up again. "Itai…"

"How did you know there was a trap, Hinata?" Sakura enquired curiously. "I didn't detect any change in chakra up there…"

"I heard an extra click," Hinata explained almost shyly, unused to being the only person to notice something like that. "In between Naruto-kun's steps, there was another noise just before his foot went down, which I guessed was something activating."

"Which of course, would be a trap," Shikamaru finished for her, staring up at the top of the wall with a frown, as if it might somehow make it start behaving. "Either way, it looks like we have to go through…"

Naruto, who had pulled himself up to his feet and dusted himself off while the others spoke, regarded the entrance to the labyrinth curiously. "So we haveta go through this maze…" he echoed, before folding his arms in annoyance. "Geez, that's a pain in the ass…"

If nothing else, this remark eased any concerns Hinata had about whether Naruto was okay after that fall or not – if he'd hit his head, he certainly wasn't showing it.

Watching as the boy began walking into the labyrinth, Hinata suddenly felt a sense of… of _something_ come over her. It was almost a sense of inevitability, like something was about to happen that couldn't be avoided.

'Byakugan!'

Hinata quickly scanned the path her crush was following, before crying his name out in panic again. "Naruto-kun! Don't move!"

"Eh?"

The boy froze mid-step obediently, not even daring to turn his head to see what was wrong. "What's going on, Hinata-chan?"

"Be _very_ careful, Naruto-kun," the girl instructed, walking forward a couple of paces to get a better look at the situation. "Your left hand is two inches away from a chakra trip-wire, and your right foot is right between two more chakra strings…"

Naruto's gulp at this information was audible even from the distance the other ninja were at, and he felt a trickle of sweat run down from his temple. "H-how do I get out of it?"

Hinata scanned the path intently, relieved to see that there appeared to be nothing else out of the ordinary at least in the immediate area. "First of all, bring your foot backward _very_ carefully… you've only got an inch above and below it, so try not to lift it up or down at all."

Lowering his eyes so he could watch the limb in question, Naruto caught his breath as he carefully eased his foot backward, bringing it almost in line with his other leg before he dared to ask, "Is it safe now…?"

Hinata nodded at this before remembering Naruto couldn't see her, and relayed her answer to him out loud. "Now just bring your other hand back," she instructed. "Put it by your side, and then come back out here."

Hugely relieved, Naruto turned away from the invisible tripwires and left the labyrinth again. "So what now?" he asked, flashing Hinata a quick smile of gratitude.

The girl blushed at Naruto's subtle thanks, before walking down the pathway Naruto had just left, stopping after a short distance. "The strings are here," she informed the others, her Byakugan still activated. "The top one's this high-" At this, Hinata drew a line in the air in front of her, tracing the width of the path at a little below her chest height. "-and the two by Naruto-kun's feet are here and here," she finished, indicating a line four and six inches above the path. "If we're careful, we can get through without touching them – there's a fairly big gap in the middle."

One by one, the group nodded at this, before making their way down the path, stopping when Hinata told them to and following her directions to get through the strings safely. Once they'd made it through safely, they all breathed a sigh of relief. "Nice one, Hinata-chan," Naruto grinned, before peering around the next corner curiously. "Are there any more there?"

Hinata turned her Byakugan to examine the path, and shook her head. "No; there's no chakra there at all."

"Alright!" Naruto cried enthusiastically, before marching on ahead. "Come on, let's go the-!"

Naruto cut off as he suddenly felt himself unable to move. Shikamaru had activated his Kage Mane no Jutsu and grabbed Naruto, holding him in place. "Idiot…" Shikamaru grumbled, before lowering his head so that Naruto's would copy. "Look under your foot!"

Naruto squinted for a moment, unable to see what Shikamaru was getting at. After a couple of moments, it dawned on him that one small section of rock was a shade darker than the rest – there was almost nothing in it, and you certainly wouldn't notice if you weren't actively looking, but it was there. "Is that…?"

"Most likely, yes," Shikamaru agreed, releasing his technique once he was sure Naruto had cottoned on. "A pressure trigger for another trap. You would probably have just gotten a kunai through your skull or something."

Naruto shivered at that thought, and took a couple of paces back to make sure he didn't touch the sensor. "Geez… chakra strings, pressure pads… what the hell else is in this place?"

"Probably a lot more," Shikamaru answered shortly, before walking ahead of his team, pointedly stepping around the panel to make sure the others noted where it was. "If my suspicions are right, though, we should be able to get through this relatively easily."

The other three ninja blinked in surprise at this, before hurrying to follow their leader along. "How?" Sakura enquired as she dodged round the sensor. "Was there a map in that dossier?"

"No," Shikamaru answered, before stopping once he was sure they were all clear. "But the human mind, at its most basic level, operates in almost exactly the same way from person to person, and designing mazes is no exception. It's almost like we follow a pre-programmed pattern that we _think_ is entirely random. In reality, your brain works out each step in its own way – and that 'own way' is a common trait among almost everyone."

"So?" Naruto replied. "That doesn't mean snake-boy would make a maze the same as me."

"Perhaps not," the Chuunin agreed. "But if we're very careful, we might spot which pattern he followed, and be able to deduce the path from that."

'On the other hand' Shikamaru reasoned inwardly. 'If he knows that little fact, then he'd probably design the maze, then deliberately change parts of it. He might even do that two or three times over, just to make sure. There should still be _something_ to it though, for him and any other sound-nin to be able to get through…'

Much to Shikamaru's surprise, there was – and in a much more open way than he'd imagined. As he led his team on again, they turned a corner and immediately found themselves in a square room. It wasn't particularly large, and aside from three exits and a small plaque on the floor in the middle, it was totally bare.

"Hinata, are there any traps?"

The girl shook her head as she scanned the room. "No chakra, and the floor looks safe too."

"Anything on or in the walls or above us?"

Hinata scanned round the room again, going a little more slowly and intently this time, before shaking hr head once more. "It's clear."

Walking forward, Shikamaru stood over the plaque and read it out loud to the others.

"One, zero, five, six, four, nine, five, one, two, three, one, with an arrow pointing left," he called, before frowning in thought. "I don't know what the numbers mean, but giving us an arrow to follow seems a little easy…"

Sakura walked forward and stood beside Shikamaru, while Naruto and Hinata hung back expectantly. "…they add up to thirty-seven," she stated after a hesitation, before adding, "And they multiply out to thirty-two thousand, four hundred, if we ignore the zero."

The pink-haired girl glanced up to her leader. "Any ideas?"

"Thirty-seven is a prime number," Shikamaru stated. "But other than that, there's nothing special about it. There's nothing too significant about the other number either. Perhaps it's some sort of code…"

The Chuunin turned to his two other teammates. "You two, examine the three corridors, and see if there's anything down them."

With a nod, they both dashed over to the right-hand exit, Hinata searching for chakra and Naruto searching for anything that looked out of place on the wall or floor. "Ne, Hinata," he mused, pointing up at the ceiling. "Does that crack look… I dunno… like someone put it there on purpose?"

Looking up, Hinata nodded at Naruto's assertion. It really was far too straight to be a natural crack, and it was almost rectangular in shape too. "I guess it's a trap," Hinata replied, though she sounded a little hesitant about this statement. There was no chakra present, nor were there pressure sensors or tripwires, as far as she could tell. Might it be a decoy? And if not, what was the trigger?

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Hinata turned to face the orange-clad ninja beside her. "Ano… Naruto-kun, could you throw a shuriken down that passage? I have an idea…"

Nodding, Naruto obliged this request, pulling a throwing star from his weapons pouch and launching it at full speed down the corridor. Almost immediately as the shuriken passed the crack, a huge blade reminiscent of Zabuza's sword suddenly swung out of it in a vicious arc, causing both ninja to leap backward in surprise. 'So it was real…' Hinata reflected with a sigh. 'I guess that one was motion-sensitive… that's another trap type to worry about.'

Leaving Naruto gaping at the blade as it slowly swung back up into the hole it had emerged from, Hinata turned to examine the middle passage, though she didn't even need to activate her Byakugan to detect the chakra present in that one. That certainly wasn't the right way…

"I think we have to follow the arrow after all…" Hinata informed Shikamaru somewhat hesitantly. "Both these passages are virtually impassable."

The Chuunin frowned at this statement, looking at the plaque suspiciously. "That's too easy…" he murmured to himself. "But if it's the only safe passage, we'll have to follow it."

Motioning for his team to follow him, Shikamaru led the way down the third passage, trusting Hinata's judgement as to its safety. "One, zero, five, six, four, nine, five, one, two, three, one…" he muttered under his breath as they walked. "Adds to thirty-seven… multiplies to thirty-two thousand, four hundred, without the zero…"

The Chuunin was almost certain that those numbers provided the means with which to navigate the labyrinth. The question was… _how?_

_

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_

Please review!


	17. Pitfalls and Perils

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters held therein. I do own some Naruto plushies, though, and that's almost as good.

Thank you all for reviewing!

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The path the team had been following had soon turned a corner and led to a T-junction. They hadn't been able to make out any traps in either direction, and both routes led to another choice of two paths a short way further along. The ninja had therefore opted to split up, taking one path each, and to walk along their chosen direction for thirty seconds, before turning back to report what they'd found. With any luck, they'd be able to eliminate at least a couple of the paths by finding traps or dead ends.

Given the yell that came from Naruto's direction after twenty seconds, they could certainly eliminate one route.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried as she stared down into the pit that Naruto had fallen into, a look of horror on her face as she took in the vast array of spikes her teammate now laid among. "Daijoubu?"

A weak laugh came from the orange-clad ninja as he lifted his head, looking up toward the girl. "Hai…" he replied with his usual wide grin, though pain was evident in his voice. "I missed most of them…"

'Most' was quite an apt word to describe the situation. The boy had fallen into a spiked pit that spanned the width of the path, was over eight feet long and equally as deep, and somehow had managed to twist himself as he fell to avoid the majority of the barbs (though how he'd pulled that off, only he knew). However, in order to protect the important areas of his body, he'd had to allow others to take damage. His left hand was speared on one spike, he had a gash across the outside of his left leg where he'd barely managed to avoid another, and a red patch was visible on his right side where he'd gotten impaled again. The latter wound didn't look to be too deep, given the size of the stain it left, but it would certainly pain him for a while.

As Hinata took this in, she breathed a small sigh of relief. Naruto had survived worse in the past, and none of the wounds looked to be potentially fatal, assuming the spikes weren't poisoned. She glanced over her shoulder toward Shikamaru and Sakura as they arrived, quickly relaying Naruto's injuries to them, before turning her attention back toward the pit. If it weren't for the awkward position he was in, Naruto could probably have stood up, made his way through the spikes and climbed out, but he was certainly going to need assistance getting to his feet.

The Hyuuga girl quickly examined the layout of the spikes in the pit, before settling her gaze on one point. If she judged her landing _very_ carefully, there looked to be an area she could jump down into safely, and from there she'd be able to get across to help the boy up. She could only afford to misjudge her landing by a couple of inches at most, though, else she'd probably wind up with a set of injuries not too dissimilar to Naruto's.

Taking a couple of paces to run up, Hinata leapt off the side of the pit without a moment's further consideration, ignoring Sakura's cries of protest at this sudden action. Fixing her gaze on the spot she was aiming for, Hinata estimated her landing carefully, bringing her legs up at the last moment to avoid trailing her foot against one spike, before touching down and catching hold of one of the other barbs with one hand to steady herself. Sighing with relief as she realised she'd managed it safely, the girl stood up and made her way over to Naruto.

The boy watched Hinata questioningly from his awkward position as she stopped by his side, his eyes widening as she reached for the hand that had been punctured by one spike. "No – wait, Hinata, you don't need to do tha-"

Naruto's protests fell on deaf ears as Hinata took hold of his hand as firmly as she dared, before tugging at it and pulling it off the metallic point. The yelp of pain that accompanied this action was entirely expected, but Hinata couldn't help feeling a little guilty about it. "Gomen, Naruto-kun," she murmured softly, before kneeling down to wrap the boy's arm round her shoulder. "But it was the only way to get you off of it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" the boy grumbled, wanting to object to being helped in order to save his pride, but at the same time knowing he needed it. "You didn't have to risk hurting yourself jumping in like that though- _itai!"_

The boy grimaced again as Hinata began to pull him up, clutching at his side with his free hand as he was shifted. Now that he was up on his feet, Hinata could see that his right shoulder had been slashed too, though he was fortunate in that he'd managed to avoid spearing that on anything. With so many spikes packed together so thickly, it really was nothing short of incredible that Naruto had escaped taking much damage.

Then again, that was Uzumaki Naruto for you – in situations like these, it really did seem that the gods smiled down on him.

Giving Naruto a small smile of her own, Hinata let go of him, pausing a moment to make sure he could stand on his own. When she was sure the boy was okay, she stood aside to let him make his way through the spikes and climb out, while she stayed behind a moment longer to examine the protruding shards of metal more closely.

'No poison…' she concluded, mentally sighing in relief. 'But a plain spiked pit seems incredibly crude for someone with the Sannin's strength, especially given what he's protecting…'

Still, if he wasn't going to make absolutely certain of killing his enemies, she wasn't going to complain, Hinata reasoned as she followed the same path through the spikes as Naruto had, jumping and grabbing hold of the edge of the pit before pulling herself up. As her head appeared above the rim, though, she almost fell off again with a shriek as she saw Naruto sat on the floor topless with Sakura treating his injuries.

"You should be more careful," the pink-haired girl scolded the boy as she used her chakra to heal the wound in his side. "It's an obvious enough trap to spot – and what would you have done if there hadn't been a medic-nin on the team?"

"…used a lot of bandages and drank plenty of water to replace lost fluids?" the boy asked hopefully, before yelping as Sakura 'accidentally' prodded him in the side.

"You're supposed to not drink at all if you take serious wounds to your gut, idiot!" Sakura retorted, moving her hand a little further up his body and pushing her healing chakra deeper to ensure she accounted for the full depth of the wound. "With an injury like this, you wouldn't have even been allowed to continue!"

"Hah – most of my injuries heal in a day, remember?" Naruto stated, looking somewhat pleased with himself. "I could've carried on!"

"Not if you keep making it worse," Sakura informed him simply. "Do you even have any idea how many organs you could have ruptured?"

The blonde gazed towards the labyrinth's ceiling thoughtfully, before shaking his head to say he didn't. Sakura merely grunted in annoyance at this, before standing and moving round in front of the boy to heal his hand. Truth be told, she had initially been worried about her teammate, but once Hinata pulled him up she had been able to see for herself that he wasn't hurt anywhere near as badly as he could have been. Her worry was now manifesting itself as irritation instead, which was something Naruto had admittedly grown used to over the course of their missions.

A quiet voice piped up from beside the two, and Naruto looked up to see Hinata blushing as she spoke, intentionally avoiding looking at the Kyuubi-vessel's body. "A-ano… is Naruto going to be okay, Sakura-chan?"

"Heh! Don't worry!" the boy answered with his usual wide grin before Sakura could reply. "Once Sakura gets my other wounds fixed up, I'll be ready to go again!"

"I'm afraid not," Shikamaru informed Naruto with a sigh. "We're only ten minutes into the labyrinth; we need Sakura to maintain her chakra as much as she can, in case we need her to heal someone again later."

"_Nani?"_

Hinata couldn't help a small, relieved giggle at Naruto's shocked exclamation. If he was able to yell that indignantly without being caused any pain, then Sakura must have done a good job on his injuries. Of course, if she couldn't do anything about his leg or shoulder…

"Uhm… Naruto-kun… I can fix your other wounds, if you want…"

The boy blinked blankly for a moment, trying to recall if he'd heard anything about Hinata having medical training too, before remembering the ointment she'd given him during the Chuunin exam. "Ah!" he exclaimed brightly, nodding his agreement. "Do you have some of that stuff then? It worked really well last time I used it!"

Hinata set her backpack down as Sakura announced she'd finished with Naruto's hand, and began rummaging through her bag as Naruto flexed his fingers experimentally. Given the low, "Suki…" that came from Naruto, Sakura's efforts were successful.

"Uhm… here you go…" Hinata murmured softly as she pulled the small pot out of her bag and offered it to Naruto. "I can bandage them up afterwards, so if you just want to put the balm on…"

The boy took the pot from Hinata, before hesitating for a moment. "I can do my leg…" he observed, fingering idly at the torn material as he spoke. "But I can't reach far enough round my back to get the other one. Can you do it, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata almost dropped the bandages she was holding when Naruto asked this, before ducking her head to hide her blush as she set them back into her pack. "…hai…" came the almost inaudible reply as the girl shuffled closer to Naruto, before hesitantly taking the pot from him and scooping some of the ointment out with two fingers. 'It's okay…' she told herself as she felt her face heating up, her hand slowly moving closer to Naruto's back. 'It's just medical treatment… It's not like you're massaging him or anything…'

Given the soft sigh that came from Naruto as Hinata began rubbing the cream into the wound, you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. "Is that a new formula or something?" the boy enquired as he picked the pot up and scooped out some of the lotion to spread on his leg. "It feels a lot nicer than the stuff you gave me in the exam."

"H-hai…" Hinata confirmed, her blush burning brighter and brighter as she felt Naruto relaxing under her fingertips. She had a feeling the boy was waiting for her to expand on this, but honestly couldn't think what else to say – he certainly wouldn't understand what she was talking about. She wasn't sure that even a professional pharmacist would either right now – her ability to even form coherent sentences in her _mind_ was dying rapidly as it dawned on her just how much Naruto was enjoying her ministrations, never mind saying them out loud.

Once she was done rubbing her ointment into Naruto's back, Hinata stood up again and took her bandages out of her pack, kneeling down in front of Naruto to apply a dressing to his injuries. Her chest tightened a little as her eyes wandered down to his stomach, and after that she pointedly stared at his shoulder as she bound it, pulling the bandages tight before tying the tails off with a neat little knot. Turning her attention to Naruto's leg, Hinata pulled the torn edges of his orange trousers aside before placing a dressing over that wound and binding it up too.

Giving the knot a last tug to ensure it was tight enough – not restrictively tight, but enough to ensure that the bandage wouldn't slip off – Hinata looked up again, giving Naruto a quick smile. "There, it's… done…"

Hinata trailed off as she found herself staring into two wide cerulean eyes mere inches from her own. Dimly, it began to register in her mind that the fact that Naruto's eyes were so close meant that the rest of his body must be too. His **shirtless** body. _Naruto's. Shirtless. Body._ _Right in front of her._

Hinata felt her face beginning to warm up yet again as this information slowly clicked into place. For a brief moment, she could swear that Naruto had begun to blush too, but she didn't stay sat there long enough to confirm that thought. Leaping up to her feet, Hinata hurried away to her backpack to deposit the items she'd used to treat Naruto, making sure she didn't turn around again until Naruto had covered himself up.

"Alright!" the boy proclaimed, climbing to his feet. "Let's get going!"

Shikamaru nodded his agreement with this suggestion, and turned to the other two. "We know Naruto's path is trapped, and I didn't come across anything. How about you?"

"I didn't find anything either," Sakura informed her leader. "The path just kept going in a straight line, for as far as I could see."

"I came to a dead end very quickly," Hinata answered. "I looked all round the floor and walls, but I couldn't find any switches or triggers of any sort."

Shikamaru mulled this over. "We can probably rule Hinata's path out then…" he decided. "But Sakura, given the direction your path went, from what I could tell from when we first saw the labyrinth, you should have come to a wall or a corner pretty quickly. That one was probably a genjutsu or a long tunnel with a trap at the end to catch people out. A genjutsu would mean it was the direction we wanted to go – but since I'm guessing you didn't detect one, it's probably the second option," the Chuunin reasoned.

"Ne," Naruto called, having pulled his jacket and backpack on, taking care not to disturb the wound on his back. "Why don't I just send my bunshin out to explore the maze? If I create enough, one of them's bound to get through!"

"I considered that when we first came in," Shikamaru replied. "But we need to conserve our chakra where we can, no matter how much stamina you have, because we don't know how long we're gonna be down here or what we'll find. Also, if your bunshin set off a trap, they'd get destroyed, so we wouldn't know it was there. And even if we assume you did manage to get to the middle; will your clone be able to come all the way back to us and direct us there again?"

Naruto's face fell at this reasoning. "Yeah… I guess not…" he admitted.

"Well, let's get going," Shikamaru sighed. "I know it's troublesome that we can't cheat our way through here, but it's the only way we'll complete the mission."

Nodding in acknowledgement, the other three ninja began to follow their leader down the path he'd followed earlier, each of them quietly pleased that there didn't look to be any traps ahead.

"Ne, Hinata," Naruto called quietly, glancing ahead to make sure the other two weren't listening in. "Uhm… thanks… for helping me, I mean. And I'm sorry for what I said in Tsunade-no-baachan's office too – you're way stronger than in the Chuunin exam!"

The Hyuuga girl couldn't help a blush coming to her cheeks at this compliment, lost as to exactly how she should reply – and to what had brought on Naruto's 'stronger' remark. "A-arigato, Naruto-kun…" she eventually managed with an almost embarrassed laugh. "Y-You've improved a lot too."

Usually, Naruto would grin widely at that remark. He'd tell the listener that it was only expected, since he was going to become the number one ninja in the village, before laughing triumphantly and giving them a thumbs-up. Instead, though, he found himself managing only a smile of gratitude. "Thank you, Hinata-chan," he whispered back, before leaning forward and giving the girl a friendly one-armed hug.

The two of them froze.

As soon as Naruto was able to, he leapt back almost as if he'd just been electrocuted. "G-gomen, Hinata-chan!" he blustered, eyes wide in a mix of surprise and embarrassment at his own actions. "I-I didn't mean to…"

"I-it's okay, Naruto-kun…" the girl cut him off, blushing as she stared down at her feet, poking her fingers together in that familiar nervous habit. "I-I didn't mind…"

Flashing the boy a quick smile, Hinata scurried on ahead, leaving the blonde ninja facefaulting at his unexpected behaviour. 'Geez… is this that "good influence" thing Iruka said I needed?' he wondered, before following along behind the others again. 'Why the hell do I keep doing that?'

Eventually, after navigating another chakra tripwire and a pressure pad, the team came to the end of the passageway, where it led into another room. It was much like the first one, only this time there were only two exits.

As in the first room, Shikamaru instructed Naruto and Hinata to examine the two passages for traps, while he read the number on the plaque.

'Seven, four, two, six, zero, zero, five, one, one, six, three…'

"They add up to thirty-five," he mused out loud. "That's a non-prime number… so if my guess is right, the arrow will be pointing the wrong way…"

The Chuunin had a feeling that the system he was currently working on wouldn't be the full answer. It was far too simplistic for someone of Orochimaru's undoubted intelligence, but they didn't have any clues to give them any other possibilities right now…

"Ano… Shikamaru…"

The Chuunin glanced up from the plaque as Hinata called him. She sounded a little uncomfortable, which didn't particularly encourage him.

"…neither exit looks like it's trapped…" the Hyuuga girl reported. "Naruto-kun and I examined them both, and followed one each a little way along just to make sure… They both come out to a room like this, but neither has a sign, and there's only one exit from each…"

'If there are any traps, they're probably mechanical…' Shikamaru reasoned. 'And they're very well hidden too – he's not playing quite so nicely any more.'

Nodding acknowledgement of Hinata's report, Shikamaru addressed his team with a new set of instructions. "I believe the passage Naruto went down is the false one," he stated. "However, we're going to go down there, just to make sure. There should be a trap in that next room, in which case we'll know it's wrong. If there isn't, then we'll carry on down there."

With that, the Chuunin led the way down the passage, his team following silently behind him. When they reached the entrance to the room Hinata had described, Shikamaru held up a hand to indicate that the others should stop, before peering cautiously into the wider area in front of him.

"See?"

At almost the exact same instant as Naruto spoke, Shikamaru leapt backwards away from the entrance, and a moment later a slab of rock slammed down from the ceiling, closing the room off. Less than a second after that, there came the soft hiss of gas being released, and Shikamaru had a grim feeling that the passage at the far end was closed off too. The three other ninja gaped at this trap, while their leader simply gave a sigh of relief.

"Naruto, you walked carefully and silently down here, correct?"

The blonde nodded at Shikamaru's question.

"That's what Orochimaru expected," the Chuunin stated bluntly. "That trap was set off by a sound detector – he'd anticipate anyone who'd gotten here being cautious and quiet. My guess is that he'd assume the victim would walk into the middle of the room silently, look round for any sign of a trap on the wall behind him, and accidentally scuff his foot lightly over the floor…"

"And since he'd not be expecting it, there'd be no time to get out before the doors closed…" Sakura finished off, sounding somewhat sickened at the thought. She didn't doubt for a moment that the gas released in that trap would cause an agonising and drawn-out death.

"Exactly."

With that single word, Shikamaru turned and began to lead his team back the way they'd come from. While he didn't doubt there'd be more traps in the near future, he had a feeling they wouldn't be as brutal as that one for a little while.

What he hadn't expected, however, was the ninja waiting in the room as they returned.

* * *

Please review! 


	18. The second foe: A strange attack

Disclaimer: Same as ever.

Thank you everyone who reviewed! I'd like to leave a quick apology here; I know I've been bad about updating lately, but (at the time of starting this chapter) I have 15 university-level assignments to do in the next 5 or 6 weeks, so I'm really struggling for free time at present! If you can bear with me, I'll try to make it up to you in the future, okay?

Thanks again for reviewing – and to attempt to compensate for the delay in updating, here's a longer chapter than usual. Enjoy!

* * *

"_Exactly."_

_With that single word, Shikamaru turned and began to lead his team back the way they'd come from. While he didn't doubt there'd be more traps in the near future, he had a feeling they wouldn't be as brutal as that one for a little while._

_What he hadn't expected, however, was the ninja waiting in the room as they returned._

_

* * *

_

"So you're starting to learn…"

The four Konoha ninja jumped as a voice spoke, all turning as one to face the source. Naruto dashed to the front of the group, a kunai in his hand as he readied to counter any attacks the ninja might launch, and barked a question at the new arrival. "Who the hell are you?"

The ninja simply smirked in reply, folding his arms across his chest. "No-one of consequence, if you're willing to turn back now," he answered. "However, if you insist on trying to carry on through the maze…"

The ninja's smirk turned into an arrogant sneer, his upper lip curling back almost in distaste at the sight of the four ninja in front of him. "Then I am your end," he finished.

'You're more than that' Shikamaru realised as he recalled his discussion in the Shogi parlour a few days ago.

* * *

"_So, this ninja you mentioned…" Shikamaru began. "What was he like?"_

"_Quiet," was the first word short-and-bald came up with. "He was very quiet. He didn't speak very often, and when he did, it was in a low voice. It was kind of sinister," he recalled with a small shiver. "He had one of those things too," he added, pointing to the hitai-ite Shikamaru had around his upper arm. "Only his had a musical note on it."_

_Shikamaru frowned a little at this. "Did he have it on his forehead?"_

_Short-and-bald pursed his lips thoughtfully, before shaking his head. "I'm sure it was on his arm, like yours. Should you wear it on your head then?"_

'_That doesn't sound like Soin at all…' Shikamaru pondered. 'Whoever it was, though, was obviously from the sound village…'_

"_Can you remember anything else?" the Chuunin enquired. "Clothes, hair, anything he might have said about where he came from?"_

_The man opposite Shikamaru fell into silence, his eyes lowered in thought as he cast his mind back. "I'm sure his hair was a kind of light woody brown," he eventually returned. "And he had a dark blue top on, with a white sash round his waist."_

"_Dark blue? Might it have been black?" Shikamaru asked, wanting to be certain about this information._

"Definitely dark blue," short-and-bald answered firmly. "Black would have suited his hair, but I remember thinking how bad that blue looked as he left. I'm no fashion expert, but you'd have to be stupid to miss that."

_

* * *

_

'Two sound-nin in the same foreign village, at almost exactly the same time? That can't be coincidental…' Shikamaru resolved. 'He must be with Soin.'

"So, are you turning back?"

"Hah!" Naruto snorted in reply. "No way! We'll go through you if we have to!"

"Very well."

True to short-and-bald's description, the ninja wasted no further time talking. Reeling off a quick series of hand seals, a cloud of smoke puffed out around the ninja, and when it cleared, there were three clones beside him.

"Hinata!"

The girl made a soft noise of affirmation at Shikamaru's command even as she began to activate her Byakugan, the veins round her eyes popping up barely a second later. "They're all solid!" she called out as she too assumed a battle stance, quickly followed by Shikamaru and Sakura. "I can't tell which one's the real one!"

"Then we'll just have to take them all down," Naruto replied confidently as he brought his fingers up in a cross in front of him. "Kage bunshin no- Ah!"

The boy broke his jutsu off as he felt something hit him in the back of the hand, yelping in pain. "Kuso…" he growled, before bringing his hands up to try once more, this time watching closely to see if any of the clones attacked again. "Kage- …huh?"

Naruto paused again as he realised something was wrong. His hand didn't hurt, but it wasn't working properly – no matter how hard he tried, he could barely move his fingers. "What the hell?"

"My turn," the enemy clones replied simultaneously, before they all leapt forward as one to attack the Konoha ninja. Naruto caught the first, being the closest to them, and immediately parried the ninja's kunai with his own, struggling to keep the blade away despite using both arms to defend against it. 'Crap… he's strong…' the boy realised, before pushing the ninja back with an effort and hopping away down one of the passages to keep out of the way of his teammates. He spotted Hinata and Shikamaru leap down the other two, leaving Sakura in the room with her opponent, before his challenger was on top of him again.

'He's fast too!'

Dodging another thrust from the kunai, Naruto hopped up and placed his feet against the passage wall, sticking to it briefly with his chakra before springing off and swinging his foot for the back of the ninja's head. Despite the effort he put into making the move as quick as he could, his foe still managed to duck in time, leaving Naruto's foot to arc over him. The blonde ninja landed in a crouched position and made to spin and launch another quick attack at his foe, meaning to bring his foot up into the ninja's gut. Suddenly, he felt the same impact as earlier, this time on the side of his leg, and barely a second later the limb buckled under him, sending him sprawling to the floor. Once again, it refused to move regardless of how hard he tried.

'Kuso… what the hell is this?'

* * *

Hinata ducked and dodged her opponent's attacks as he advanced on her, occasionally deflecting his arms with her own as she sought an opening in which to use her Jyuuken. The ninja was agile enough to avoid the few attacks she did manage to loose off, and the Hyuuga girl realised she was rapidly running out of time if she wanted to beat him before they reached the room behind her – Shikamaru had said it was the safe route, but she still didn't know for sure that there weren't any traps in there.

Intensifying her Byakugan, Hinata watched her opponent's chakra system carefully as he threw a few more strikes at her. His fingertips flared each time he attacked, almost as if he were using Jyuuken and firing chakra at her, but the trouble with that theory was that there was no energy leaving his system. Hinata occasionally felt his attacks breezing past her, but couldn't see anything causing that sensation – his hands hadn't once gotten close enough to touch her.

'What on earth is it?'

Hinata gave a cry of surprise as she felt something hit her arm. It felt almost like a marble had been thrown hard at her, but she hadn't seen anything getting launched. Leaping back just far enough to catch a quick breath before her opponent could attack again, Hinata tried to re-assume her Jyuuken stance, but gave another cry as her left arm refused to move.

'The chakra's still flowing…' she realised with a quiet gasp. 'My chakra isn't affected, but I still can't move it. What's going on?'

Hinata registered this in a fraction of a second, and in the next instant her opponent was on her once more. The Hyuuga girl felt something stir her bangs as she ducked her head to one side to avoid another attack, and immediately launched a swift, almost reflexive counter strike. This apparently took the ninja by surprise – he'd evidently presumed she would panic and back off – and he barely managed to get out of the way of her palm in time.

What he hadn't accounted for was the fact that Jyuuken didn't need a direct contact to work.

As Hinata's chakra caught the ninja's side, she felt her heart rate pick up a little. If she'd been fighting a clone, she'd have beaten it, but if she'd gotten the real one, that wouldn't have been enough to stop him, and she doubted she'd get him off-guard again.

The puff of smoke that followed her attack was confirmation enough for Hinata that she hadn't been paired up against the real ninja. Giving herself only a few scant seconds to get her breath back as the smoke cleared, Hinata began on her way back down the corridor to try to help the others. She couldn't fight properly with one arm, but if she hid just inside the passage, she might get a chance to launch a surprise attack.

* * *

In the other corridor, Shikamaru was also on the defensive as his foe went for him, though he was successfully keeping a reasonable distance from his enemy, watching his attacks as closely as he dared to try to get a better understanding of how he fought.

'His strikes are like Snake-style kung fu…' the ninja observed as he hopped back a few more paces. 'But his attacks are too reckless, and he's not even close enough to hit me with some of them.'

Shikamaru felt something breeze past his cheek as the ninja's hand thrust forward again, and that was enough to confirm his suspicion that there was more to the attacks than basic taijutsu. Glancing once over his shoulder briefly to check how much passage he had left, Shikamaru instinctively ducked as another attack was launched at his throat.

"You're running out of time," the ninja informed Shikamaru in a low voice, evidently fully aware that there was a trap further down the path. "You'd better start fighting back soon!"

"I agree."

Reaching into his thigh holster, Shikamaru launched two shuriken at his opponent. The ninja easily dodged them, though, and launched another wave of attacks with a contemptuous laugh. "Is that it?"

Reaching into his holster again, Shikamaru launched four, then six shuriken at the ninja. These were again easily dodged, and Shikamaru's opponent moved to launch yet another round of strikes. This time, though, he found himself unable to attack. "What the…?"

"Kage Mane… success…"

The Chuunin paused for a moment to catch his breath as he stood from the crouched position he'd been in, before walking closer to his opponent, who mirrored his actions exactly. "The shuriken were just a distraction," he told his foe, before coming to a standstill. "I just needed to make sure you wouldn't see my shadow approaching."

"You…"

The ninja began to struggle more strongly against Shikamaru's jutsu, but found himself unable to break free. "You think you can beat me with such a cheap trick?"

"It doesn't matter if this beats you," Shikamaru returned, lifting one arm up and pointing it slightly away from his opponent, so that the other ninja's arm wouldn't point directly at Shikamaru. "I just need to see what's so special about your attacks, so that I can tell the others."

The ninja's rage was palpable as Shikamaru studied his hand, before the Chuunin made a satisfied noise. "I guess you fire something out of those," he remarked, nodding toward some small holes he observed in the ninja's fingertips. "What do you use? Senbon? Ball bearings?"

"Like I'd tell you," the ninja practically spat in return, glaring at Shikamaru with such intensity that you could be forgiven for thinking he was trying to strike the Chuunin down simply by glowering.

"I expected as much, but you can't blame me for trying," the Konoha ninja returned with an almost resigned sigh, before lowering his arm again – his actions again mirrored by his foe – and walking toward the ninja once more. Much to the ninja's surprise, Shikamaru turned side-on to him and shuffled past, eventually setting himself and his opponent in reverse positions to those they'd started in.

"That trapped room wasn't far away, right?" the Chuunin asked as he took a step backward, the ninja copying as he realised with a look of horror what the Nara boy was planning. "I think my shadow can stretch far enough to reach there."

"You wouldn't…" the ninja returned, though he sounded less than certain. "You really think you have what it takes to kill someone?"

"Yes."

Shikamaru took another step backwards, and again, the ninja he was fighting copied. His foe, however, suddenly smirked. "You're too weak," he replied, a touch of arrogance back in his voice. "You've never killed before; you don't have a killer's look in your eye. You know you can't do it now either. It's a bluff."

"Maybe it is…"

The Chuunin paused for a moment, his eyes closing in thought as he recalled old memories, though he didn't allow his mind to wander far enough for him to lose his hold on the jutsu. He remembered the first mission he'd been sent on as leader; the attempt to retrieve Sasuke. He remembered having to ask Chouji to stay behind and fight an Oto-nin, who was clearly far more powerful, on his own. He remembered watching his squad drop off one by one, knowing that in each case, he was almost certainly sending them to their deaths for the sake of the mission. He remembered the racking guilt and pain he felt knowing that when they returned, Chouji and Neji were on the verge of death, and it was because of his leadership.

Most of all, he remembered his promise that he'd never let it happen again.

All of this flashed through Shikamaru's mind in barely half a second, and in the next instance he looked up again. The sudden coldness in his eyes was enough to leave the ninja in front of him visibly taken back.

"But I'm a ninja of Konoha. The most important resource our village has is its people, and we will do everything to protect them. I, as the leader of this team, will protect those people and my squad at any cost."

'I won't make the same mistake again…' 

"If I have to become a killer to ensure their survival, then I will."

For a brief moment, an almost ironic smile came to Shikamaru's face, his eyes warming up again. "That's a ninja's job, right?"

One pace back.

"To become an emotionless killing machine?"

Two more paces.

"If I don't do it now, I'll only hesitate later when it _really _matters."

Four more.

"And I can't afford that if I'm going to keep my team alive."

The ninja Shikamaru was fighting was carried past the door to the next room as Shikamaru took a few more paces back, and in his panic he tried to call out to appeal to the Chuunin. "No, wai-!"

The sound of heavy slabs of rock slamming down cut the ninja off, his voice triggering the sound sensor, and barely a second later, the hissing sound of gas came to Shikamaru's ears. He immediately released his Kage Mane and walked closer to the door, smiling in satisfaction at the loud pop he heard as another clone vanished.

"Besides, the odds were three to one in my favour that I wouldn't kill anyone anyway," the Chuunin remarked to the slab of rock with a small smile. "I guess I'm still innocent for now."

With that, he turned and began on his way back to help the others out.

* * *

Sakura launched another volley of shuriken at her opponent as she hopped back again, desperately trying to keep her range as she worked out an attack that might work against the ninja she fought. She had worked out quickly that his strength lay in taijutsu, but he was far too fast for her to hit with her thrown weapons. All she could do at the moment was to keep him at bay, until something else came up.

'I'll run out of weapons soon though…' Sakura warned herself as she bounced off a wall to get around her opponent again. 'I'll have to think of something quickly.'

The girl gave a quiet cry of surprise as she felt something rush past her ear, and realised she'd allowed the ninja to get far closer than she'd have liked. Taking a couple of quick leaps away from him, Sakura skidded to a halt and watched carefully to see what his next move would be.

"You can't run forever, little girl," the ninja taunted. "My clones have probably dealt with your teammates already, and should be back here soon to help me finish you."

The pink-haired girl didn't respond to this, but instead ran through a quick series of hand seals. With a puff of smoke, two clones appeared beside her, and the girl gave a wry smile. 'They're only illusions, and this is only a basic technique…' she reasoned to herself. 'But with a little variation, it might work…'

The three Sakuras dashed forward at the ninja, one darting off either side of him, and all readied to launch an attack.

'Easy…' he informed himself as he looked at the Bunshin around him. 'The first two to attack will be the clones. She thinks I'll try to defend myself, and they'll disappear. She'll then leap through the smoke and try to hit me.'

The Oto-nin took up a defensive stance, a thin, humourless smile on his lips. 'All I have to do is wait to see which one arrives last.'

With a cry, all three Sakuras rushed forward, the right-hand one a little ahead of the centre, and a little behind the left.

'The middle one is mine…'

As expected, the first clone leapt into the air with a raised fist. The ninja didn't react, and the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. Almost instantly, the second clone leapt, foot raised and drawn back to land a flying kick – a flying kick that hit the ninja squarely in the jaw, sending him reeling backwards and staggering almost to the floor.

A slightly groggy moan came from the ninja as he regained his balance, and he glowered at the two remaining girls in front of him. "What did you…?"

His question was answered as the third Sakura – the 'real' one, in his mind – disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving one physical body behind who looked particularly pleased with herself. "An easy trick, ne?" she asked, unable to resist a little gloating. "Who'd have thought one of Orochimaru's men would fall for that?"

The ninja's eyes narrowed, and he brought his hands together in the Tori seal. "I'll show-!"

The ninja never got a chance to finish his sentence as his eyes suddenly bugged out wide, before he collapsed to the floor. Behind him, evidently a little worse for wear, was Hinata, one hand raised at the ninja's neck height. "I paralysed him," she informed Sakura, sounding equally as pleased as her fellow kunoichi had moments before.

Before the pink-haired girl could reply, the ninja on the floor vanished in a puff of smoke.

A short silence fell between the two.

"…I guess you didn't…"

* * *

'Kuso…'

Naruto tried to push himself away from the ninja as best he could, hoping to get a quick gap between them so that he could work out what the hell was wrong with his body and hopefully fix it. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to crawl with one leg and a wounded shoulder, and he soon realised he didn't have a chance of getting away.

Naruto cried out as he felt a boot swing with brutal force into his ribs, sending him skidding across the dusty floor and further down the passageway.

"I wonder…" the ninja mused as he followed, clearly not expecting Naruto to jump up any time soon. "Should I finish you off, or should I let Orochimaru-sama's traps do the work for me?"

Rolling Naruto onto his back with one foot, the ninja stamped on the boy's stomach, making him sit up as he cried out in pain again. In retaliation, the blonde ninja used the only attack he had available at that moment, and sank his teeth into the ninja's calf. Given the roar of pain that followed this, he had a bite that Kyuubi would be proud of.

"You little bastard!" the ninja growled, kicking Naruto in the face as retribution. He then bent down and picked the boy up by the scruff of his jacket, before punching him once in the stomach and throwing him further down the pathway.

"Kuso…" Naruto groaned, doing his best to push himself up to his feet. He hissed softly as his ribs protested – he had a feeling they were already heavily bruised – and eventually managed to get up to one knee. His other leg still wouldn't respond, though, and he found himself unable to climb any higher than that. With one hand also still unresponsive, he couldn't perform any seals either. That cut his options down horribly.

As the ninja approached him again, Naruto pushed off the floor with his one good leg and pulled his fist back to try to attack the ninja again. His movements were far too slow, though, and a backfist caught him in the side of his face before his hand could even get halfway to his opponent. The boy again skidded down the corridor, and came to a stop facedown in the dust.

"This is all Konoha can produce?" the ninja goaded as he approached Naruto again, eyeing the boy disdainfully. "No wonder Orochimaru-sama was able to leave it behind so easily."

Wincing as he moved, Naruto turned his head to one side, facing the ninja he was fighting as he tried to work out a way to defeat him with no ninjutsu, one working leg, and almost no energy to move.

'I can't give in…'

Gritting his teeth with the effort it took, Naruto tried to push himself up to his feet again, much to his opponent's amusement. "You really don't know when to give up, do you brat?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he spotted something on the floor, before he lifted his head to give his opponent the best confident grin he could manage. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto…" he replied, less pain showing in his voice than the other ninja would have liked. "Of course I don't know when to give up…"

Naruto only got as far as being up on his hands and knees before he threw himself forward, one arm stretched out as though he were diving to catch something. As he landed, he slammed his hand down onto the pressure plate he and the others had taken such pains to avoid earlier.

'Please work!'

There came a soft click from above Naruto and the enemy ninja, and a fraction of a second later, the ceiling dropped down a full metre in height, firing sharpened bamboo spikes out it as it dropped. Naruto closed his eyes, waiting to be punctured again, and consoled himself with one thought as the tips drew rapidly closer.

'At least I took him out too…'

There came a strangled choke as the ninja Naruto fought was impaled by the spikes, and a fraction of a second later, Naruto felt the sleeve of his jacket pulled taut. Opening his eyes again, the blonde ninja heaved a sigh of relief as he saw the spikes had somehow managed to slam either side of his arm without hitting him, and his relief was only heightened as the ninja he'd been fighting disappeared in a puff of smoke.

This, of course, left him with one final dilemma. Listening carefully for a few moments, Naruto noticed all sounds of fighting had stopped.

"Hey, guys!" he called out, wincing a little as his ribs protested. "Help!"

* * *

"So what was with his attacks anyway? And why were there four clones?"

When Naruto had cried out for help, the others had immediately gone to his aid. Hinata had nearly had a heart attack when she saw him apparently impaled by yet another set of spikes, but once they had managed to cut through the bamboo and free Naruto, she had calmed down. Sakura had treated his newest injuries, but her chakra had been ineffective against whatever had affected his hand and leg.

The team of Konoha ninja were now resting and trying to work out exactly what was so special about the other ninja's attacks. They had pooled their information together, and were now offering theories.

"The clones aren't so difficult to explain," Shikamaru answered. "Either he sent a clone out and had that create clones of itself, or he had another clone waiting in the corridor and performed Kawamiri with it after he created the other clones."

The Chuunin gazed into the distance as he finished that statement, a thoughtful look on his face. "Holes in his fingers…" he murmured, repeating the information out loud again. "Some sort of chakra-related firing mechanism, though there was no chakra actually leaving his body… An attack that disables the body physically, instead of affecting the chakra system…"

"Ano…" Hinata cut in quietly, sounding somewhat hesitant. "Otousan told me about a martial art that was like that, when I was younger… He said there were parts of the body you could strike, and it would disable the muscles or nerves, instead of the chakra…"

"Dim Mak!" Sakura cried out suddenly, pounding a fist into her palm. "That would match this!"

"Dim Mak?" Naruto repeated, frowning in confusion. "What's that?"

"It's a gentle fist martial art that's very similar to Jyuuken," Sakura explained. "It traditionally uses Snake Kung Fu-style fists, and aims to strike particular pressure points on the body."

Naruto nodded slowly at this, clearly waiting for Sakura to continue.

"Hitting different spots causes different effects. It can be used to heal using acupressure – that's like acupuncture, but without the needles – but can also be used to attack. When the right spots are hit, it can disable muscles or even organs. Certain spots will cause heart attacks, and others will paralyse your lungs"

"So that's what he did to my arm and Naruto-kun's leg…" Hinata realised.

"Probably," Sakura answered, before continuing. "You can counter-act the effects by striking another particular point, or by leaving them to wear off, though that usually takes a few hours."

Naruto frowned at this and began to move his leg experimentally, surprised to find that some motion had already returned to it. Evidently, Kyuubi knew something about healing this sort of attack too.

"So we just have to wait?" Hinata asked, looking a little downtrodden. She'd noticed the subtle movement of Naruto's leg, and realised that soon she'd be the only member of the team holding them back.

"It looks that way," Shikamaru answered, stretching lazily. "But it gives us a chance to rest up, I suppose."

"What about the soldier pills?" Naruto enquired, pulling his out of his pocket and looking curiously at it. "They'd give us a chakra boost – wouldn't that speed it up?"

"We need to save them," Shikamaru replied. "If things get harder later, we'll definitely need them."

"But anyway…" Sakura called, looking thoughtful. "What does his Dim Mak – if that is what he's using – have to do with the holes?"

"It felt like a marble or something hit me…" Hinata chimed in, before adding, "And I definitely felt something flying past me."

"There wasn't anything solid," Shikamaru returned. "I checked where we fought after I defeated him; there weren't even any impact marks on the walls. It's more likely he was firing concentrated blasts of air," he reasoned. "Much like Zaku in the Chuunin exams."

All three other ninja nodded at this, seemingly content with that answer, and Shikamaru couldn't help a soft sigh. Fighting him in the future was going to be so troublesome…

* * *

Translations:

Oto-nin – Sound-nin  
Tori – Bird

* * *

Please review! (And if you were wondering, yes, Dim Mak does actually exist. Free education for you!) 


	19. Plans

Disclaimer: If you ain't learnt by now, you're probably not smart enough to be a lawyer, so it doesn't matter.

Thank you again everyone who reviewed! It really is wonderful seeing that so many of you have stuck around despite my tardiness in updating (college is now finished, by the way – just have my KSL3 and NVQ4 to worry about now... :dead:) – I only wish I could give you all more.

Also, a special thank you to _Demon of Konoha,_ who hauled me up on this in their review:

"Dim Mak itself isn't a form of martial art. It's actually a technique and loosely translated it means 'death touch'. It is actually a technique of a martial art called Tien Hsueh which is the mastery of touch based attacks that affect the nervous system and blood flow."

So there you all have it. Now onward and upward!

* * *

Hinata watched somewhat dolefully as Naruto hesitantly pushed himself up to his feet. They'd only been resting for half an hour, but it looked like he had already mostly recovered from that other ninja's attacks. His first step was a little uncertain, almost as if he was expecting his leg to buckle from under him again, but when he found it was functioning relatively normally he began to move around more confidently. 

Hinata had heard talk of Naruto's incredibly quick healing abilities, but this was the first time she had really seen them first-hand. She was happy that he was now up and about, knowing how frustrated he was at not even being able to walk round a little to stave off boredom, but that also meant that her earlier prediction was correct – she was now the only one holding them back.

The Hyuuga girl sighed softly at this realisation, before trying to move her arm again. There was still no reaction from the limb, though, and she leaned back against the wall she was sat by with another quietly exhaled breath. If only there was some way she could hurry things along…

"Ne, Hinata…"

The Hyuuga girl blinked in surprise as she suddenly saw Naruto squatting down in front of her, a chipper smile on his face as he spoke to her. "Don't worry about it."

The boy stood up and walked closer to her, before sitting down beside her and leaning in so his head was beside hers. For a brief moment, Hinata had a fleeting mental image of Naruto leaning closer to kiss her, but that possibility was shot down as the boy whispered quietly in her ear. "Kyuubi fixed it for me," he explained, his voice so low that even Hinata strained to hear it, meaning there was no way Sakura or Shikamaru could have caught what he said. "Don't go thinking you're holding us back, okay? We can wait as long as it takes."

Hinata stared enquiringly at Naruto for a moment, honestly touched by the fact that he'd taken the time out to reassure her, but curious as to how he'd known what she was thinking. When he did nothing but grin at her while waiting for a response, she eventually voiced this question to him.

"Oh, I just saw the look on your face," the boy answered with an easy laugh. "You were obviously upset about something, and I know you always feel like you should try harder, so I just kinda guessed."

Hinata continued to stare at Naruto for a moment longer, before eventually smiling and nodding to him. "Arigatou, Naruto-kun" she returned, somewhat relieved that Naruto wouldn't be impatient because of her. "I'll do my best to heal soon."

The boy gave Hinata an even wider grin than usual, and flashed her a brief thumbs-up, before raising his voice again and calling across to the group's other kunoichi. When Sakura joined them, Naruto addressed her and Hinata together, leaning forward in an almost conspiratorial manner.

"You two know more about that Dum Mak stuff than me or Shikamaru, right?" he asked them, glancing from one to the other to check their agreement.

"Dim Mak," Sakura corrected him, but nodded anyway at his questioning look. "So?"

"Well…"

Naruto hesitated for a moment, as if what he was about to say bothered him somehow. "Do you guys know any way to stop it? I just…"

Again, Naruto had an uneasy pause. "He took me out too easily – you guys could still fight, but I was helpless. I don't want to be like that again – I want to be able to protect you guys, you know?"

Sakura couldn't help a small smile as she noticed those last words were directed more toward Hinata than her, but quickly hid it with a determined nod when Naruto turned back toward her. "I don't _know_ of a particular way to stop it…" Sakura admitted, "But we might be able to work something out that at least reduces the chances of it working."

Hinata made a soft noise of agreement at this statement, her eyes revealing how pleased she was that she'd be of some use to the team right now even though she was still holding them back. "We'll do our best," she added.

"That's great!" Naruto chirped brightly in reply, before standing up again. "Me and Shikamaru will keep watch on the tunnels until we can go, then!"

With that, Naruto bounded over to Shikamaru to suggest this idea to him, leaving the two girls to talk to each other. After a brief moment's thought, Sakura was the first to speak. "Ne, Hinata…" she began, her voice sounding a little distant as she worked out exactly how to word her question. "Your Jyuuken works in a similar way to Dim Mak, right? I mean, I know it's chakra-based instead of physical, but it's the same principle, right? You have to hit precise points at the right strength to turn them on or shut them off, ne?"

Hinata nodded at this, and she suddenly caught on to what Sakura was suggesting. "You're wondering how to stop attacks on the tenketsu, right?"

When Sakura nodded in reply, Hinata paused to think for a moment. "…well, the only way you can really _stop_ the attacks is to use your chakra to blocks theirs," she admitted, lightly nibbling on her lower lip in thought. "Apart from deflecting their arm, there's not a lot else you can do…"

Hinata's pink-haired companion nodded at this. "That's probably not the sort of option we want for this though…" she mused out loud. "I mean, you're the only one who could do that anyway, and it'd probably take a lot of chakra to keep his attacks out, right?"

Hinata made a soft noise of agreement. "Ano…" she uttered quietly, her brow furrowing a little in thought. "He's attacking using _air_ though, and not chakra, ne? That can be stopped, can't it?"

Sakura brightened up at this suggestion. "Of course!" she cried in a quiet voice. "With something solid enough, like our hitai-ite, it can easily be stopped – he'd have to fire it hard enough to dent them for it to have an effect, and even then the metal would have to hit us at exactly the right strength to get the effect he wants!"

Hinata was visibly excited by this idea too, but it soon faded away as another thought struck her. "We'd need a full suit of armour to stop his attacks completely though," she observed. "The forehead protectors alone wouldn't do a lot."

"Maybe not…" Sakura admitted. "But they can at least protect some of our vital spots, can't they? I've got a basic idea of some pressure spots on the body from my training with Tsunade-sama, and they can't be all that different to tenketsu anyway. If we protect the key areas…"

The Hyuuga girl nodded her agreement with this thought. "It at least gives us a better chance…"

"There must be something else we can do though…" Sakura wondered out loud. "Air can get through clothing though, so that's not any help…"

"Ano…" Hinata interjected. "You said it needs to hit at the right pressure, right?" When Sakura nodded confirmation of this, Hinata pressed on. "Well, if the air has to go through several layers of clothing, surely it'd lose some energy? It'd get dispersed a little, and be cushioned slightly – like when you wear several layers on windy days. Might that be enough to stop his attacks?"

Sakura thought this response over for a moment, before nodding again slowly. "That _could_ work…" she conceded, leaning back against the wall beside Hinata as she considered that possibility. "What do we have that would do the job though…?"

The two girls sat in silence for a short while as they considered this, before Hinata slowly brightened up again and reached for her backpack with her good arm. "I think I have an idea…"

* * *

After preparing themselves as best they could, the team of ninja began on their journey once again. Shikamaru and Hinata had gone on a little way ahead of the others to confirm that the room in the 'safe' tunnel really was safe, and waved for the other two to follow only once they were absolutely certain they could safely do so. 

"Ne, Hinata…" Naruto murmured softly as he walked past her. "Are you sure you're alright? You looked like your arm was a bit stiff when you activated your Byakugan…"

"I-it's fine, Naruto-kun…" Hinata replied, her eyes darting aside to avoid Naruto's as she answered. "It's just a little stiff from being still for so long; it'll be fine soon."

Naruto didn't look entirely convinced by this – a fact that didn't surprise Hinata in the slightest, since she _knew_ she was bad at lying – but much to the girl's relief, he let it drop. "Well, just make sure you let us know if you need longer, ne?" he urged her with a serious look. "We don't have to hurry through."

Hinata nodded her agreement of this, but she couldn't help a gnawing doubt as the boy walked on ahead to catch up with Shikamaru. 'You _want_ to hurry though, don't you Naruto-kun?' she thought silently, watching his impatient body language as he joined their leader's side. 'Your eyes gave it away… you're not very good at lying either…'

"So, what do you think?"

Hinata jumped as Sakura's voice suddenly came to her ear, instinctively darting aside a little so that Sakura wasn't so close. "W-what do you mean?" Hinata responded carefully.

"About Naruto…" the pink-haired girl responded with a knowing grin as she walked on beside Hinata. "Now that you've spent some time around him and actually spoken to him, what do you think of him?"

Hinata blushed brightly at this question, much as Sakura had expected, and lowered her gaze as she twiddled her fingers in that familiar old nervous habit. "A-ano…"

Hinata thought back over the last few days that she and Naruto had spent together, and couldn't help a small smile coming to her lips. She had always believed he was brave, but now that she knew about Kyuubi, she realised just how hard it must be for him to smile all the time. She had always believed he was determined, but having witnessed his tireless searching for what could well have been nothing back when they were in the forest, she realised he could be immovably resolute – she had no doubt that he'd have covered every inch of the forest by himself twice, if he'd needed to. She had always thought he was strong, but when he'd opened up to her about his secret, he had shown more strength in baring his soul and showing weakness than anyone she'd spoken to before. She had always thought he was kind, but she knew now what an understatement that was. When he'd fought that clone, he could have been seconds from being killed outright, and he still only thought about defeating him so that he couldn't go and hurt the others – even if it meant what could have become a suicide mission.

Most of all, she had always believed he was amazing. Now, he seemed to be another step closer to being perfect.

"He's… incredible…" Hinata stated with a slight widening of her smile. The certainty and confidence in her voice surprised even her, but then, she knew deep down that she was only telling the truth. "There just isn't another word for him…"

Sakura nodded softly at Hinata's appraisal of the boy, before rolling her eyes as she watched Shikamaru scold him for apparently being too troublesomely loud. "He's something else, I'll give you that…"

* * *

Several traps and a couple of close calls later – none of which had been at Naruto's expense, much to the boy's relief – the team managed to make it into another room with a plaque in the centre. This time, Naruto and Shikamaru both walked forward to it, and Naruto read the inscription out loud. 

"Two, five, four, three, six, eight, one, zero, five, four, nine, and the arrow's pointing right…" the boy voiced. "That's forty-seven, right?"

Shikamaru nodded at this. "Another prime number…"

"So that means the arrow's right, ne?" Naruto asked, before beginning on his way to the corridor the arrow indicated. "Let's go then!"

The group began to follow, but Sakura suddenly stopped mid-step as something struck her – it was only a gut feeling, but…

"Naruto, wait!"

"Huh?"

As the boy stopped walking, a curious whining sound came to his ears. Glancing round the room, he saw nothing, and quickly realised it must have been coming from down the tunnel ahead of him. "What the…?"

In the darkness, Naruto just about spotted two silvery flashes. It took half a second for his mind to register what they might be, and half a second more for his body to respond. As he launched himself sideways, he felt a rush of air brush the back of his neck, and a fraction of a second later, there came two heavy metallic clunks as whatever had shot past him buried itself in the wall opposite. "Geez…" the boy almost whimpered as he pushed himself up, eyes wide as he regarded what had come within inches of taking his head off. "That was too close!"

In the wall were two blades that, to all intents, looked like two blades from a circular saw, but for the fact that they were slightly domed on the two 'flat' sides to enable them to fly more smoothly. The fact that they had buried themselves three inches into the wall, instead of shattering or rebounding, testified further to the fact that they most definitely were not typical carpentry tools.

Naruto blinked almost curiously at the wickedly jagged edges of the blades, before suddenly stamping his foot in annoyance and pointing accusingly at the inscribed metal plate on the floor. "Kuso!" he cried, storming over to it as if he were planning to pick a fight with it. "It was a prime number!" he protested, before gesturing across to the corridor he'd originally tried to walk down. "That was supposed to be the right one!"

"Perhaps it's not every prime number…" Sakura wondered out loud, before apparently counting softly under her breath. "If we took every other number out of the prime number series, then forty-seven would be in a different group to thirty-seven – the total on the last correct plaque…" she reasoned, before looking across to Shikamaru for confirmation of this statement.

"Ah," he agreed, studying the numbers on the metal plate intently as if searching for some other pattern. "But that said, it could be every third number, or anything like that. We might not even be right with the prime numbers idea," he admitted.

The three other members of the group exchanged solemn glances at this statement. They'd gotten so caught up with solving the labyrinth through that method, that they hadn't paused to consider that they might be wrong.

"Still, it shouldn't be too complicated a system, in case someone was being pursued and needed to get through quickly," the Chuunin observed. "I guess we'll have to go with that idea for now, though, until something better comes up. We'll just have to be more careful about going down each corridor."

With that, Shikamaru turned and began on his way down the other corridor, swiftly followed by his team. It seemed that Sakura's reasoning was correct, and that the corridor was indeed safe – at least until, after a full minute's walking, the girl detected a genjutsu had been cast nearby.

"Wait, everyone!" she called out, before bringing her hands together into the required seal. "Kai!"

Hinata's gulp was audible as she and Naruto found themselves literally inches away from a wall of particularly wicked-looking spikes, where there had apparently been a clear corridor beforehand. The genjutsu had been totally different to the first one they'd encountered at the entrance – it was so low-level, it barely used any chakra – and as such, they'd completely missed the chakra's presence, having gotten used to far more powerful traps. If Sakura weren't so sensitive to chakra…

Hinata gulped again as she realised how close she'd come to impaling herself quite horribly.

Taking a couple of paces back, the Hyuuga girl breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face Sakura. "Then which way are we supposed to go? The other corridor was trapped…"

After journeying a little way back down the passage, the team discovered that releasing the genjutsu had revealed the correct path – a passage was visible where there had originally only been a wall.

"We'd best be more careful in future," Shikamaru warned his team, making sure to include himself in that statement. Unsurprisingly, the only response he got was a series of definite nods from the others, before they continued on their way.

* * *

The traps were getting fewer. 

The team had no idea how long they'd been travelling now, but there were definitely fewer traps than there had been previously. Granted, those they came across were gradually getting more and more vicious – Hinata had had a close call with one particular trap, having to leap over and duck under two blades simultaneously, before a third had released a second later aimed at exactly the height she was at – but the reduced frequency surely meant that they were closer to reaching their goal. This in turn meant that the ninja they had encountered earlier was surely closer too, assuming he was protecting Orochimaru's lab, and as such, Hinata was now activating her Byakugan far more frequently in the hope of detecting him before he detected them.

Sure enough…

"Shikamaru-kun!" the girl hissed quietly, bringing the group to a stop. "There are four ninja or clones up ahead… they're about two hundred metres away, but they're getting closer."

The Chuunin grunted confirmation of this, before quickly darting ahead, bringing his team into another room ahead of them. "We don't have much time then," he warned the others, before quickly formulating a plan. "You two," he began, looking toward Naruto and Hinata. "I want you to hide near the top of the wall, while Sakura and I will hide either side of the entrance."

As the two nodded, he turned his attention to the pink-haired girl in his team. "There's only room for one to get through at a time – when he comes through, I'll catch him with Kage Mane, and I want you to incapacitate him _quickly."_

Sakura made a noise of confirmation at this statement, and Shikamaru turned back to Naruto and Hinata. "The other three will most likely rush in to try to catch Sakura and I before we can regroup – Soin and the other ninja both had very direct fighting styles. When they do that, you two are to drop down and take the next two out, and Sakura and I can deal with the last one."

With another quick nod, the two leapt up to the top of the wall and held on using their chakra – Naruto had taught this technique to Hinata during their earlier training sessions, and given her high level of chakra control owing to her use of Jyuuken, she had picked it up very quickly. Shikamaru and Sakura both dashed into their respective positions too, and all four damped their chakra down as much as they could, in the hope of not giving their positions away.

Pausing for a moment to see if he could hear the enemy ninja approaching, Shikamaru hissed one final warning up to the two above him. "Remember, stick to the plan – if one of you gets caught out when you attack, the other should focus on their own opponent first!"

"Na-… why wouldn't we?" Naruto retorted defensively, making sure he kept his voice low too. "We know how to carry out a mission!"

"It's obvious that you two have gotten a lot closer," Shikamaru stated, somehow managing to sound bored and authoritative at the same time. "This'll be your first time fighting with those emotions in mind – remember, you do _not_ let your emotions interfere with your mission!"

Hinata, predictably, had turned scarlet at Shikamaru's words, even if she did take a little offence to them, and Naruto looked somewhat flustered too. _"Nani?"_ he hissed back. "I don't know what you-"

"Shh!" Sakura sharply cut him off. "Worry about it later! They're almost here!"

Sure enough, about five seconds later, the team felt a chakra presence beginning to emerge from the darkness.

* * *

Please review! 


	20. One Down

Disclaimer: Same again. Nothing owned, nothing claimed, nothing paid.

Thank you all for your reviews – I put extra effort into this chapter as a special thank you, so I hope you all like it. On with the fic!

* * *

_Sure enough, about five seconds later, the team felt a chakra presence beginning to emerge from the darkness._

_

* * *

_

The four ninja each felt their breath catch as the chakra presence drew closer. It was undeniably identical to Soin's, and further behind that, they felt the same energy as they had from the second ninja they'd fought.

Two presences between four bodies meant there were definitely some clones involved… but how many were there this time?

'It doesn't matter,' Naruto resolved, clenching his fist by his side. 'If they're clones, they'll disappear when we hit them, and if they're the real thing, we'll just have to beat them into the floor.'

Giving himself a definite nod, Naruto watched as a foot came into view. The figure paused, as if he were waiting for an attack, and Naruto took extra pains to make sure his chakra didn't fluctuate. That would be more likely to draw attention with him damping it as much as he was – right now, he would probably only come across as a distant presence, but distance presences didn't vary rapidly.

Apparently satisfied, the figure continued walking forward, and Naruto watched Shikamaru bring his hands up to form the seal for his trademark technique.

'Now!'

Almost perfectly in time with Naruto's mental urging, Shikamaru's shadow sprang forward, locking onto its target immediately and paralysing him. The ninja barely had a chance to cry out in surprise before Sakura leapt forward from the other side of the doorway, swiftly bringing her foot up in a fast roundhouse kick to the ninja's jaw. Shikamaru managed to break his jutsu off just in time, and the force of Sakura's strike drove the ninja's head into the wall, bouncing off it with a sickening crack before the ninja disappeared in a puff of smoke.

'One down…'

True to Shikamaru's prediction, the next two ninja – both of whom appeared to be their second opponent, though no-one could tell whether there were one or two clones – darted forward through the doorway at top speed, meaning to catch the two Konoha ninja by surprise. However, a sudden increase in chakra from above them made them skid to a stop, and as they turned round, they saw Naruto and Hinata descending on them, each with a kunai in hand.

With barely a grunt of annoyance, each ninja whipped out a kunai of his own, bringing them up to deflect Naruto and Hinata's attacks with a shrill shriek of metal scraping against metal. The two had allowed for this, however, and their second attacks were already launched.

Naruto's opponent was almost taken out in that next move. The boy immediately swung his foot up at the ninja's ribs, and it was only by sheer chance that the ninja's arm was close enough to deflect the impact, steering the boy's leg to one side before shoving him away so he could regain his balance.

Hinata, however, was far less fortunate. As she'd brought her left arm up, meaning to launch a crippling Jyuuken strike, she'd felt it ache in protest at the sudden movement. Her eyes widened in horror as she remembered it still wasn't one hundred percent fit and realised the strike wouldn't land in time. In the next instant, a fist caught her strongly in the gut, and she slammed into the wall behind her with a cry of pain.

"Hinata!"

Hearing Hinata's cry, Naruto immediately leapt past the ninja he was fighting and dashed to the girl's rescue. Seeing her opponent looming over her, apparently ready to use whatever technique he'd attacked them with earlier, Naruto felt his blood boiling and darted in faster than he'd realised he could without using the Kyuubi's chakra. The ninja barely had a moment to glance in Naruto's direction, and didn't have a chance to even register that the boy was attacking him, never mind to actually block the boot that came up under his chin as Naruto leapt into the air and arced his leg up violently.

"Teme!"

Barely even managing a pained sound, the ninja flew back a foot in the air before disappearing in a puff of smoke, the bunshin technique not even able to hold out long enough for him to hit the floor. Not wasting a second, Naruto skidded to a halt and grabbed Hinata's hand, pulling her up to her feet. "Daijoubu, Hinata?"

"Un," the girl confirmed, giving Naruto a quick nod of gratitude. "Demo-"

"Ah," Naruto agreed, before they both dashed back into the fight.

* * *

Shikamaru and Sakura had very nearly been caught off-guard by the ninja Naruto had abandoned. They'd both been watching the remaining Soin charge them down from the corridor, and it had only been by sheer chance that Sakura had felt a sudden chakra surge from beside her. Turning and instinctively ducking a little, the girl felt something hit her hitai-ite hard, nearly knocking her off balance, and saw the lone ninja facing her. Quickly diving aside to avoid another attack, leaving Shikamaru to face Soin alone, the girl couldn't help cursing under her breath.

'What the hell is Naruto _doing?'_

The kunoichi's question was answered almost immediately as a streak of vibrant orange darted in to attack the ninja in front of her, almost catching him off-guard. The ninja managed to grab Naruto's fist and use his momentum to throw him away as he swung a punch, but the boy made no mistake in controlling his landing against the wall before springing off it to attack again. With his teeth gritted, Naruto brought his hands together in a cross shape and cried out his most familiar technique.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Three clones appeared around the blonde ninja, all flying toward their foe alongside the boy, and it was all Naruto's opponent could do to dive and roll aside to avoid the onslaught. Carrying on back onto his feet, the ninja formed a quick series of seals with his hands. "My turn!"

Whatever attack he'd been planning, however, was cut off early as a kunai pierced both of his hands while he formed the tiger seal, pinning the palms together in an extraordinarily painful manner. The last thing the ninja saw was a resolute-looking Sakura armed with a second kunai, before he was engulfed in a wave of orange.

Barely a second later, that clone disappeared too.

Shikamaru and Hinata were having a little less luck with their opponent than Naruto and Sakura had. While they'd been blessed with the element of surprise, Soin – or his clone, as the case may have been – had been able to see Hinata coming up by Shikamaru's side, as well as the seal the boy was forming, and so was able to avoid their initial attacks. Leaping over the pair of them, he immediately threw some shuriken between the two of them, forcing them to separate as they leapt out of harm's way. A fraction of a second later, the two had to dodge again as they saw him apparently attempting to unleash his Aonsokunagare no Jutsu attack on both of them.

Seizing the initiative, Hinata darted forward as she dodged, aiming to catch Soin with a quick Jyuuken strike. The ninja was equal to the task, though, and deflected her arm before it could get close enough to harm him. He immediately followed up with another Aonsokunagare blast from his other arm, and it was only thanks to an almost instinctive pirouette out of the way that Hinata was able to avoid the certain incapacitation she would have faced from this range. Swiftly bringing her arms up in order to block any attacks that he followed up with, Hinata was quietly pleased to see Shikamaru had granted her a moment's reprieve, forcing Soin to get out of the way of his Kage Mane technique.

'If we could give Shikamaru-kun an edge, he could catch him, and then we'd have him beat…' Hinata realised, watching as Soin avoided Shikamaru's shadow again before launching a kunai at the boy. 'He's just not fast enough at the moment…'

Soin quickly spun round as he landed and kicked Sakura away as she rushed to join in with the fight, and immediately leapt out of the way of a barrage of shuriken from Naruto and his clone army. Another Aonsokunagare discharge made two of Naruto's clones drop to their knees before disappearing, and Soin swiftly scooped some of Naruto's weapons from the floor and launched them back at him.

'I can't make it obvious though…' Hinata realised. 'Or it'll be a wasted effort…'

Naruto almost managed to land a punch on Soin, but the ninja dodged aside. Naruto's clone had anticipated this movement, though, and Soin felt a fist land heavily in his gut, before a kick from the real Naruto sent him skidding across the room.

"I guess this is the real one…" the boy observed, panting a little as he watched Soin climb up to his feet. "There's no easy escapes this time though!"

Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, Soin sneered at the four ninja in front of him. "Who said I planned to escape this time?"

The ninja brought one hand up to his face, and tapped two fingers against his lips. Hinata recognised that gesture from their first fight, and immediately brought her hands up to her ears, pressing her palms firmly against them.

"Everyone! Cover your ears!"

Before the other Konoha ninja could even register what Hinata had said, Soin called out his attack. "Kanakirigoe no Jutsu!"

All four Konoha ninja cried out in pain as one as a piercing whistle filled the room, echoing back at them off the walls and intensifying the pressure it created on their ears. One by one, they all dropped to their knees, Naruto's remaining bunshin disappearing in a puff of smoke, and found themselves unable to move after the attack stopped. In such an enclosed space, the intensity of that attack had been like being clubbed across the head.

Wasting no time, Soin leapt past Naruto, Sakura and Hinata, and landed in front of Shikamaru. "You're the most troublesome out of all of them," he informed the boy, before pulling his arm back to deliver a fatal blow. "Aonsokunagare no Jutsu – Final Touch!"

Hinata's eyes widened as she caught Soin's words. Owing to the fact that she'd protected her ears, the ninja's attack hadn't affected her as badly, and she had already mostly regained her senses. Pushing herself to her feet, Hinata lunged forward desperately, aiming to strike Soin _anywhere,_ to do enough to stop his attack on their team's leader.

"Hah!"

As Hinata cried out, Soin turned to glance at her. A smirk played across his lips, and at the last moment, he stepped aside, pulling Shikamaru forward and using the boy as a shield from Hinata's attack.

The Jyuuken strike hit Shikamaru square in the chest, and he felt back down to the floor without a sound.

Silence fell across the chamber as the four ninja stared down at the unmoving Chuunin. The three Konoha ninja's faces showed disbelief, while Soin had a satisfied smirk on his face.

For possibly the first time ever, Hinata was the one to disturb the stillness.

"You…"

A faint look of amusement played across Soin's face as the Hyuuga girl slowly lowered her head, trying to compose herself. "Oh? The mouse can talk?"

"You…"

Slowly, Hinata allowed her chakra to build up, focusing solely on creating as much in her reserves as she could. Without a word, the girl drew one foot back and dropped into the fighting stance of her clan, lifting her head and firing a glare at Soin, meeting him eye to eye.

To Naruto and Sakura, the sight was awesome. Even fighting against Neji, Hinata hadn't looked this determined and resolute. She almost _frightened_ them. The two were almost expecting her to issue some sort of declaration, some kind of bold challenge to the ninja, but it never came. Instead, she dashed forward at top speed, her right arm aiming straight for Soin's heart as she loosed off a first Jyuuken strike.

With a cry of surprise, caught by the girl's sudden turn of speed, the ninja barely managed to turn her arm away. Her left arm followed up immediately, and Soin found he barely had time to block that too, before the Hyuuga girl dropped down into a leg sweep. Leaping up to avoid the attack, Soin tried to counter with a kick to Hinata's face, but instead wafted his foot through thin air before a Jyuuken strike hit him in the back of the leg.

Allowing the momentum of Hinata's attack to knock him away, Soin hit the ground and rolled straight back up onto his feet. 'She didn't hit a crippling point' he realised as he tested his leg, before dodging another strike from Hinata's relentless assault as the girl was immediately back on him. 'But I'm going to have to be more careful; she might get lucky next time.'

Blocking another series of strikes, Soin tried to find a window in which he could use his Aonsokunagare technique, but the half-second he needed to fire it off just wasn't being provided. The girl's attacks just kept coming, and while he occasionally spotted a half-chance to counter with an attack of his own, he found she immediately put him on the back foot again. It was almost like she was possessed.

All Naruto and Sakura could do was watch this onslaught in amazement. They both stood with their jaws hanging open, but didn't dare do anything to interfere, for fear that they too should get hit, or even just get in Hinata's way. At the rate she was going, she could conceivably defeat him on her own. Naruto even winced a little as another strike landed on Soin – again, it didn't look like Hinata had managed to hit a tenketsu point, but the sheer force of her attack meant it would've hurt like hell even without her putting chakra into it.

While all this was going on, no-one thought to tend to Shikamaru. They therefore didn't see him wince a little and begin to move, slowly pushing himself up until he was on his knees, rubbing his head.

'Geez, that was close…' he reflected, oblivious for the moment of the commotion around him. 'I must be the luckiest guy on Earth to have avoided taking damage from that…'

Just to be sure, Shikamaru began to mould his chakra, and his eyes widened a little as he felt it flowing even more smoothly than usual. 'No way… just then, she…?'

Once his initial surprise and admiration passed, the Chuunin smiled a little. 'She must have planned that Soin would move, then…'

Turning to watch the fight unfolding in front of him, Soin couldn't help an appreciative quirk of his eyebrows. If she'd genuinely meant to open his tenketsu, she was doing a hell of a job of acting like she believed he was wounded. That probably meant she was using a lot of chakra too, though, which in turn meant he'd better hurry up with her plan.

Bringing his hands into the familiar seal, Shikamaru allowed his chakra to spike briefly in warning to Hinata, before firing his shadow across the floor, marvelling at the speed it had suddenly picked up.

* * *

As Hinata felt Shikamaru's chakra spike, she realised he must have been about to use his Kage Mane technique. If she hit Soin while he was caught, she had no idea if it would affect Shikamaru or not…

Feigning a slip, Hinata allowed herself to leave an opening for Soin to attack, mentally bracing herself for the worst. As she expected, he immediately unleashed his Aonsokunagare attack, and as she felt her insides begin to churn, a booted foot slammed hard into her side, sending her skidding across the floor.

"Hinata!"

Naruto rushed to intercept the route between Soin and the Hyuuga girl, who suddenly looked to be in very bad shape, but was surprised to find Soin's follow-up attack didn't come.

"Kage Mane… success."

Soin's eyes opened wide in shock as those three words came to his ears. "But… how?" he protested. "I didn't even feel your chakra…"

The Chuunin simply smirked as he stood up. "Hinata's attack helped me more than you'd think."

Not even waiting for Shikamaru's command, Sakura rushed across to Soin and dealt an incapacitating blow with clinical precision, leaving the ninja to slump to the floor. Naruto, in the meanwhile, had rushed to Hinata's side, scooping the girl up into a seated position and cradling her gently against him. "Hinata!" he hissed urgently, looking her up and down to see if she had any serious wounds. "Hinata! Daijoubu?"

Slowly, the girl's eyes opened, and while she was obviously in pain, she managed to give Naruto a small smile. "Did… did Shikamaru get him…?"

Naruto gave a visibly relieved smile and nodded, holding Hinata a little closer to him. "Hai…" he answered softly. "He's beaten now."

"I'm glad…"

Not having the energy to say anything else, Hinata allowed herself to drift halfway off to sleep, one hand fisting lightly in Naruto's jacket as she allowed her eyes to close.

"Ne, Sakura!" he called to the other kunoichi, his voice urgent again. "Is Hinata okay?"

Hurrying across to Naruto's side, Sakura took the girl from him and laid her down again, before opening her jacket up and examining her as quickly as she dared.

"Her rib's got a slight fracture, and she's used almost all of her chakra up…" Sakura conveyed, before placing her hand on Hinata's right side and beginning to feed healing chakra into it. "If she takes a soldier pill and has a little time to recover, she'll be fine."

Naruto heaved a heavy sigh. "Thank goodness," he murmured softly, before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to Hinata's forehead. He only realised his actions a moment later, but somehow, it didn't seem to matter this time. All he knew was that he'd been genuinely afraid she was hurt badly, and now his relief knew no bounds. Stroking the girl's hair softly, he smiled as a light tinge came to her cheeks. "Make sure you get enough rest, ne, Hinata-chan?" he instructed in a soft voice, before standing up to leave Sakura to her healing duties.

"Oi, Naruto."

The blonde ninja blinked in confusion at Shikamaru's call. If he didn't know better, he'd think the Chuunin was angry.

"What were you playing at?"

"Huh?"

Shikamaru wasn't quite glaring at Naruto, but to say his gaze was stern would be an understatement. "What did I say to you about not breaking from the plan?"

Naruto immediately felt indignation rise inside him, and launched a tirade in his defence. "But Hinata was in trouble! She-"

"She is a _ninja too,_" Shikamaru interrupted, his voice rising in volume a notch. "She can look after herself just as well as the rest of us, as she just showed. You were given a direct order and you disobeyed."

"But I-"

"Hinata can look after herself," Shikamaru repeated. "Or do you think she's not strong enough to be a ninja?"

"I…"

Naruto trailed off, lowering his head. He didn't often back down, but it had quickly become painfully apparent to him that he was in the wrong – quite literally. "I'm sorry…" he murmured, glancing away. "I just… I didn't think, it was just instinct…"

"And while you were instinctively rescuing Hinata, Sakura could have gotten killed," Shikamaru returned. He knew that he was perhaps going too far, but for the sake of the rest of the mission, he had to drive it into Naruto's head that he couldn't set precedence for one team member over another – especially not when such great risks were entailed.

Naruto felt his indignation spike again at this, but lowered his head again wordlessly. "Ah…" he replied in affirmation. "Gomen…"

Satisfied that Naruto had gotten the point, Shikamaru gave a soft sigh, as if his lecture had been almost too troublesome. "I guess it can't be helped now…" he admitted, rubbing the back of his head lazily. "Let's just get on with the mission, once Hinata's ready, and bear it in mind in future."

Nodding softly again, Naruto turned away from Shikamaru and stood beside Hinata. "Ne, Sakura…" the boy murmured. "I'm… sorry. About messing up earlier."

Sakura gave him a mute nod in reply, her attention still focussed on her patient. "Daijoubu," she responded once she was satisfied that her treatment was done. She gave Naruto a soft smile, remembering back to the days when her, Naruto and Sasuke had their first 'training mission' with Kakashi, and how she'd completely ignored Naruto. "We all make mistakes. It's learning from them that counts, ne?"

Giving Sakura a relieved grin, Naruto nodded and sat down beside Hinata, taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you."

The pink-haired girl stood up and joined Shikamaru after that, leaving Naruto with the other kunoichi. Again, with barely a thought, he leaned down and lightly kissed Hinata's forehead once more, his cheeks reddening slightly too this time. The girl's pale eyes opened slowly, and she gave Naruto a soft smile. "Is… is everyone okay?"

"Yeah…" the boy returned, favouring the girl with a gentle grin of his own. "Shikamaru just kicked my ass for not doing as I was told, but it's all okay now."

"Gomen…" Hinata murmured softly, closing her eyes again. "I didn't mean to…"

"Shh," the boy interrupted, his voice scolding her ever so faintly. "It wasn't your fault. Now just rest, okay?"

Nodding silently, Hinata rolled over a little and laid her head in Naruto's lap, keeping hold of his hand. If this was a dream, she told herself, she didn't want to wake up… but somehow, it just seemed so real. The girl felt her face beginning to heat up as she considered that possibility, but as long as Naruto-kun wasn't complaining…

"Ne, Hinata?"

"Mmm?"

"You were awesome back there."

The girl felt her cheeks burning even brighter.

"…arigatou, Naruto-kun…"

* * *

Please review! 


	21. At The Core

Disclaimer: As always, Naruto remains the property of Kishimoto-san. Unless you're all willing to make donations for me to buy the rights, that isn't set to change any time soon.

Thank you all again for your reviews – all 300+ of them! I apologise for the vast delay in updating this chapter too – I have no excuses, I just suck.

* * *

Following Shikamaru's recommendation, every member of the group ate the soldier pills Kiba had given them earlier. Hinata had clearly been in need of it, and Shikamaru was pretty sure Sakura could use it too, after all the healing she'd done with her chakra in the past few hours. He too was in need of one – while his chakra was flowing more smoothly, he wasn't used to moulding so much at once, and had overused it somewhat – and Naruto… 

Shikamaru couldn't help a small smile that bordered on amusement. Naruto just didn't seem to ever get tired – it was like his chakra levels were as boundless as his enthusiasm and ability to make noise. Despite that, though, Shikamaru had recommended the boy eat his too, and – perhaps eager to atone for his earlier insubordination – he had complied without fuss. It was better that he was practically overflowing with chakra rather than running out, after all – they couldn't be sure what else to expect from here onwards.

Naruto and Sakura were now stood talking to Hinata, who was vainly insisting that she was okay. They were apparently unconvinced, though, and were asking her all manner of questions and getting her to perform a number of actions to check that she was indeed as well as she insisted.

"You're really sure your arm's working okay now?"

Hinata sighed somewhat guiltily as Naruto asked the same question for the fifth time. "Hai…"

"You said that before though…"

Hinata nodded mutely at this, before letting her head hang in shame. "I know… Demo, I really mean it this time. I wanted to hurry up with the mission last time, but this time I know how dangerous lying was…"

"And you're over his Aonsokunagare?" Sakura chimed in.

"Hai… he didn't hit me full-on with it…"

"Are you _really_ sure your arm's okay?"

"Naruto!" Sakura uttered warningly. "That's six times, and she's given the same answer the last five times. Why would she change it now?"

"But I want to be sure-"

"Really, it's fine…" Hinata insisted, flexing and stretching her arm as if hoping this action would convince Naruto. "You don't need to worry, I'm okay…"

Naruto didn't look entirely convinced by this, but gave a sigh of defeat and nodded. "Alright… I'll trust you," he told the girl, before giving her a bright grin. "I mean, your arm worked pretty well when you were fighting Soin, so I guess it can't be that bad."

At this reasoning, Hinata gave a small, relieved smile and nodded. Naruto had raised a very valid point there – her arm had felt absolutely fine while she was fighting, whether through sheer force of will or genuinely because it had recovered. This did, of course, mean that had they waited an extra ten minutes before moving out, her arm really _would_ have been fine by the time they reached Soin and the other clones, but she supposed that couldn't be helped now.

"Is everything else okay?" Sakura enquired when Naruto had finished his statement. "Nothing aches or just generally feels strange?"

Hinata shook her head definitely. "Really, I'm okay," she insisted for the… well, she'd lost count how many times it was now. "I've had worse than that," she added, referring to her fight with Neji all that time ago.

Finally, the two of them seemed willing to accept Hinata's word, and turned to head back to Shikamaru, closely followed by the dark-haired girl. "We're ready," Sakura informed him, grabbing at Naruto as the boy went to march off down the next corridor. "Wait a minute, baka!" she hissed.

"I can't help it," the boy returned in what was suspiciously close to a whine. "That pill's given me so much energy; I just want to get out there after that other ninja!"

Shikamaru briefly wondered if he'd misjudged his decision to instruct Naruto to eat the pill. Could an excess of chakra send a naturally overactive ninja hyperactive? 'How troublesome…' he mentally groused, rubbing at the back of his head briefly before assuming a more authoritative stance. "Hinata, check the corridor ahead for traps," he stated. "Any mechanical ones have probably been disabled to let them through safely, but they could have left chakra-activated ones behind them."

As the girl nodded and activated her Byakugan, Shikamaru addressed the other two. "If Soin came out to meet us, we must be nearing the centre of the labyrinth. The traps will either suddenly intensify, in the hope of keeping us out, or will fade out quickly in order not to inconvenience anyone who might have been fleeing to the room in the middle. They may go one way then the other, so make sure you're fully alert to any signs that something may be wrong."

"There are three exploding tags around the corner," Hinata reported, "But there are five tags on the wall. The middle one and the lowest one are fakes. There's nothing for a while after that."

Shikamaru nodded at this. "I guess the traps are starting to fade out, then," he observed, before calling his team closer together to double-check their earlier preparations. "If we're going to survive whatever's further ahead, we have to be ready for it…"

* * *

True to Shikamaru's expectations, most of the remaining distance between them and the labyrinth's core passed relatively uneventfully. The Konoha ninja had faced a brief flurry of traps a fair way on, each one apparently setting off the next in a chain reaction (which resulted in several _very _near misses), and not long after that, they were at the beginning of a long corridor, where they could just make out a room at the end. 

"Hinata?"

There was a brief pause as the girl activated her family's technique. "It's clear."

With this assurance, the team made their way down the long passageway until they reached the room at the end. There, the sight that greeted them made their eyes grow wide first in awe, then in horror.

The room was fairly big – about twenty feet in each direction, Shikamaru reckoned – but that wasn't what was so impressive. In the middle was what appeared to be a large steel operating table, and each wall, probably ten feet high, was lined floor to ceiling with shelves, each shelf crammed with books and bottles and jars and scrolls and what appeared to be tools of some kind. The collection of books, which were almost all on medical subjects, was easily twice that of Konoha hospital's, and must have practically formed a catalogue of every thesis and medical experiment – legal or otherwise – carried out in the civilised world.

Further inspection of the other contents of the shelves revealed what this room was used for. On one shelf, Sakura found jars containing hearts from various beings – some human, some not, and very few in their original state. One appeared to have a fifth chamber, while another looked to only have three. On another shelf, Hinata spotted a pair of lungs that had been joined together at the bottom, effectively forming one vast lung. Naruto grimaced as he spotted what appeared to be a mutated stomach with some sort of jutsu tattooed onto it, and even the usually stoic Shikamaru had to avert his eyes as he observed a bacterial growth that appeared to be slowly eating through a mound of flesh.

"These… can't be natural…" Hinata uttered quietly, taking an involuntary pace backwards as she set eyes on a row of hands with varying numbers of fingers. "Were these medical experiments, or was this a torture chamber?"

"Probably both…" Sakura observed grimly, finding her stomach turning at some of the worse mutations even with her medical training. The human skull with a split jaw, apparently intended to let it open sideways as well as vertically, particularly disturbed her. "It looks like he was attempting improvements on the human body, and probably tried them out on test subjects, willingly or otherwise. Some of these would obviously have failed from the outset, though…"

Sakura trailed off, not wanting to voice what she feared, and it was Naruto that picked up the slack. "So instead of killing disobedient men, he'd deliberately give them faulty body parts and make them suffer?"

"That's… very possible…" Sakura breathed quietly.

"That bastard…"

"We've seen enough," Shikamaru stated, drawing the others' attention to him. "Tsunade-sama wanted evidence of what he was doing – as well as some of these jars, we need to look for any notes he may have left behind. He wouldn't have experimented at random; he was trying to achieve _something._"

"That won't be necessary."

The four ninja spun round as a fifth voice came to them, and they immediately recognised the figure that had emerged at the opposite end of the room. "You…" Naruto growled, quickly whipping a kunai out of his holster.

The ninja they had fought earlier was stood regarding them all coolly, his eyes calculating but emotionless. Several seconds passed in total silence, before he eventually deigned to speak to them. "So Soin was unable to defeat you?"

This was more of a statement than a question, and at any rate, his only answer was a series of resolute glares. "No matter," the ninja continued, apparently shrugging this fact off. "While he showed promise, he was far from at the top of his powers. I, on the other hand, am in a totally different league."

The ninja took up a fighting stance. "For what it's worth, I will do you the courtesy of giving you my name – I am Onpa."

"Yeah? And I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" the blonde ninja replied, his voice loud and confident. "And we're gonna beat you just as easily as we did Soin!"

Much to Naruto's confusion, Onpa actually raised his eyebrows at the statement, before withdrawing from his fighting stance and even chuckling quietly. "You four really haven't caught on?" he uttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Caught on to what?" Naruto demanded.

"I told you; my fighting abilities are vastly superior to Soin's," Onpa repeated. "Why do you think I waited here to fight you, instead of going out to fight you with him?"

"We don't care!" Naruto snapped, but Onpa ignored this reply.

"I don't need his help to defeat all four of you," he stated. "You probably haven't even worked out why it was so easy to get this far, have you?"

For the slightest moment, Naruto felt an air of apprehension settle over him, before mentally shrugging it off.

"Think about it – those traps were so easy to detect, and so primitive. There was a pattern leading you through the maze. Once it was clear where you were going, Orochimaru-sama could have ordered a hundred ninja to attack you, if he'd wished. How did you make it this far?"

When this question was answered with nothing but stoic glares from the four ninja, Onpa smirked smugly. "You made it this far because Orochimaru-sama _wanted_ you to!"

The four Konoha ninja felt their breath catch at this statement, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"Think about it," Onpa continued, practically sneering. "When Soin first attacked you, he gave you an easy clue to follow. That assault was solely to establish who was in the party Konoha was sending. When this information was passed on to Orochimaru-sama, he instructed us to let you get this far."

Onpa regarded Sakura and Shikamaru, before snorting derisively. "You two aren't of any interest," he stated, his voice as disdaining as if he'd been talking about a cockroach infestation. "But you two…"

Onpa eyed Hinata and Naruto almost predatorily. "You, Hyuuga, have a bloodline limit that Orochimaru-sama would like an opportunity to research," he explained, almost licking his lips in glee. "When he heard that _you'd_ been sent on this mission, and not any of your family's far superior members, he was most pleased. And as for you…"

Onpa finally set his gaze firmly on Naruto. "You have something my master would _dearly_ love to get his hands on. I think we both know what it is…"

"_Urusai!"_

Naruto's glare was fiercer than ever as he glowered at Onpa. He knew exactly what the ninja wanted to do; he wanted to sow seeds of distrust among his team, to make them wonder what Naruto was keeping from them, and to force Naruto to tell them and perhaps even have them fear him. And he wasn't going to let it happen. "That doesn't matter! We're gonna kick your ass once and for all!"

Onpa again allowed himself a small smirk. "I'm afraid I may prove to be a tougher opponent than you realise," he answered back. "You've not even begun to see the limits of my abilities so far. Orochimaru-sama chose me to wait here because he was confident I could defeat all of you by myself. Once I have defeated you, I'll perform a jutsu on your bodies to keep them from decaying. Orochimaru-sama can then come back here at his leisure and perform the surgery at his will."

"One question…" Shikamaru spoke up, striding to the front of the group of ninja. "What of the three ninja that stopped us?"

Onpa initially greeted this with a blank look, before laughing it off. "I don't know who you mean," he replied, shrugging shortly. "But I'm sure they won't be of any consequence now."

'I wonder…' Shikamaru mused.

"Enough talk," Onpa stated, reeling off a quick series of hand seals. "It's time I defeated you all."

A puff of smoke appeared around Onpa, and when it cleared, four ninja were visible. "One of us _is_ the real one this time," they warned simultaneously. "And this time, we won't hold back."

Even as the four Konoha ninja readied themselves to fight, Onpa and his clones leapt into action. While one stayed behind, the other three dashed forward to attack. The ninja who'd held back ran through another series of seals, before punching his fist into the palm of his other hand. A sound not unlike a huge bell chiming rang out, the sound wave hitting the Konoha team with a tangible impact, and Onpa yelled, "Bunshin Sakkaku no Jutsu!"

Naruto stared in confusion at the ninja charging his team down. He knew there were three, but… were there six now?

No, definitely three…

No, six…

The boy blinked and shook his head, trying to straighten his mind out, and swore for a moment that he saw each ninja split into two momentarily, before re-merging again. It was like that time Sasuke had hit him over the head _too_ hard one day, and had made his vision go funny.

"It's a genjutsu!" Sakura cried out, before bringing her hands into the seal required to dispel it. "Ka-"

The girl cut her technique short as a hand suddenly flew at her face, and she immediately leapt backwards to protect herself, bring her hands up to a defensive position. After a split-second, though, the hand disappeared, and Sakura was left with a clear space in front of her. 'That was the genjutsu…' she realised. 'It's making us see enemies that aren't there, and not in the same way as Bunshin no Jutsu either… They fade in and out randomly, so we can't tell which the real ones are…'

Sakura saw the look of realisation on Shikamaru's face, and watched it quickly slip into a thoughtful frown. '…maybe there's more to it…' she wondered.

The girl didn't have an opportunity to consider this any longer, though, as the three ninja arrived directly in front of her and her teammates, each firing off a blast from each hand. Naruto and Hinata both cried out as they felt an impact on their arms, and each had a clone immediately set after them, the third aiming to take Sakura out while the fourth, who had by now caught up to the others, dived in to attack Shikamaru.

Naruto clutched at his arm with the hand that still worked, grimacing as his opponent rapidly closed the distance between them. He watched Onpa's hand draw back, ready to fire off another shot…

…and couldn't help allowing himself a small smile.

As the attack came through, Naruto dodged to one side, allowing himself to fall backwards as he did so and bringing his foot up in a vicious kick. Onpa was quick enough to dodge this sudden counter, but Naruto could swear he felt the sole of his shoe graze Onpa's chin. Allowing his fall to go into a backward roll, the blonde-haired boy quickly pushed himself back up onto his feet, and pointed an accusing finger at the ninja that had just attacked him – making sure he used the arm that had just been shot at. "You'll have to do better than that!"

Onpa – or his clone? – was visibly surprised by this development, and even paused for a moment to stare at the boy in wonder. "How…?"

"You have to get the pressure right for your attack to work, don't you?" the boy answered with a grin. "Well, you're gonna have to figure out what pressure's needed all over again; we shredded one of our tents and wrapped the strips round our bodies to make extra padding, to absorb some of the force – and the thickness changes too, so the pressure's different in different places!"

"I see…" the ninja in front of Naruto responded quietly. "Too back you couldn't protect _all _of your body!"

With a snarl, Onpa leapt forward again, this time aiming a strike at Naruto's throat, and it was only through an instinctive reflex that the boy was able to dodge again. Launching a kunai at his opponent, Naruto bounded forward to engage Onpa one on one. There was no doubt that Onpa had the advantage if Naruto stayed on the back foot, but Naruto knew his own strength lay in brawling.

Hinata hadn't been quite so lucky against Onpa's initial attack. While the shot hadn't achieved anything near its full effect, her arm still ached a little, and she was having to account for this as she counter-attacked Onpa's strikes.

The girl's vision swam suddenly, and she saw thin air where she'd initially been aiming. Deciding to take a chance, she directed her attack at one of the two figures that now stood either side of her first target, and couldn't help a mental cry of despair as her vision straightened itself again, revealing that she'd gone the wrong way. It was only thanks to her other hand being able to come across her body in time that she was able to deflect another of Onpa's attacks, and she used the momentum from that motion to pivot round and counter again.

'It's like my head's ringing…' she realised, remembering the bell-sound that had tolled as Onpa had attacked. 'It's like an echo… maybe it isn't a genjutsu…'

Hinata suddenly felt encouraged by this – if it _was_ a result of the sound wave and not a genjutsu, it would wear off at some point, rather than needing to be dispelled. Given the look in Shikamaru's eyes, the boy had apparently come to this same conclusion and was feeling equally optimistic, though the occasional grimace revealed that he hadn't gotten over the effect yet.

Hinata dodged another attack, and immediately launched a strike at Onpa's chest. The ninja was able to side step out of the way, though, and swiftly brought a knee up into Hinata's stomach. The girl gave a gasp of pain as she was launched backwards and skidded across the floor, winded but apparently without anything broken, and had enough presence of mind to roll out of the way of the follow-up attack, even when she momentarily saw two ninja swim into view again.

"Hinata!"

"Daijoubu!" the girl faintly called back to Naruto's concerned yell, still unable to muster a full breath but in somewhat less pain than she had been a moment before. Pushing herself up to her feet, Hinata dropped back into her Jyuuken stance and activated her Byakugan, watching intently to see what her opponent would do next.

'There!'

There was a brief fluctuation in the chakra in Onpa's right hand, and Hinata deduced that that was the hand he'd next launch his attack from. Keeping that thought in mind, Hinata braced herself as he charged in to fight her once more.

'Now!'

Sure enough, Onpa's right hand came forward in a sharp thrust. The Hyuuga girl immediately shuffled to one side, turning side-on to Onpa and steering his arm away with her own before throwing her other elbow at him and following it up with a Jyuuken strike to his chest with her first arm. With a yell of pain, Onpa staggered backwards, clutching where he'd been attacked and glaring at Hinata, his breaths a little heavier than before.

"Not bad…" he conceded, before running through another series of seals with his hands. "But you've not seen anything yet!"

Another _bonggg_ rang out, a little higher than the first, and Onpa called out the name of this new technique. "Kesson Chuushin no Jutsu!"

* * *

All four Konoha ninja gave a cry of surprise as the sound wave from the jutsu struck them. It was like their legs had suddenly turned to jelly, and for a few moments, they could barely stay upright, let alone keep their balance and stay in the same spot. This created the opening required, and barely a fraction of a second later, each of the Konoha-nin were launched backwards as Onpa and his clones launched a quick attack on them. 

"D-damn…" Naruto groaned as he pushed himself up from the floor, warily testing his legs before looking up and glaring at the four clones in front of him. The fact that the one Hinata had attacked hadn't disappeared meant she was probably fighting the real one… but then, he'd landed a couple of clean hits too, and his opponent hadn't disappeared. Onpa was either using a lot of chakra to keep the clones solid, or was using a _very_ advanced technique – even more advanced than Naruto's forbidden Kage Bunshin jutsu.

'It doesn't matter…' the boy resolved, his fist clenching by his side. 'We _have_ to beat them.'

"Yoshi! Hinata!" Naruto called, glancing over his shoulder to check the girl was on her feet too. "Let's go!"

With a soft noise of affirmation, Hinata took off after Naruto, charging the enemy down. As the boy brought his hands up to form his most-used seal, Hinata recognised which technique they were going to perform, and quickly prepared to fulfil her role too.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A puff of smoke burst out from around Naruto, and when it cleared, five clones surrounded him. "Get ready!"

Their technique was stopped short, however, as one of Onpa's own clones charged them down. At the worst possible moment (from Naruto's perspective) Onpa's Bunshin Sakkaku jutsu kicked in again, enabling the ninja to weave between Naruto's confused clones unhindered and stop right in front of Hinata. With a yell of triumph, the ninja thrust a hand up into the Hyuuga's throat and fired off paralysing blasts from three off his fingers, before snapping his leg up to kick her harshly under the chin. The girl's eyes went blank as she flew limply through the air, not even making any motions to protect herself, before crashing down on the back of her neck and skidding into the wall, where she lay unmoving.

Naruto could only watch this in horror, knowing he wouldn't have been able to get to her to catch her in time, and swallowed thickly. He felt himself beginning to tremble as he watched the girl intently. She wasn't breathing. He was some distance away, but after an attack like that, she'd have to be in pain and breathing heavily, and her chest wasn't moving at all.

"Hinata…" Naruto uttered quietly as he watched Sakura rush over to her, worry clear in her eyes as she began checking for a pulse and attempting to release the girl's paralysed throat.

"No…"

Naruto glanced across to Shikamaru, who could also only watch helplessly, before feeling a tear sting at the corner of his eye as he looked back at the limp figure on the floor again.

"…_HINATA!"_

* * *

Translations: 

Bunshin Sakkaku no Jutsu – Clone Hallucination Technique  
Kesson Chuushin no Jutsu – 'loss of balance' technique  
Yoshi – 'Alright!' Or 'Okay!'

* * *

Please review! (And good God, I hope the next chapter comes around faster…) 


	22. The Beast Within

Step one in ruining a cliff-hanger – take several months to resolve it…

Thank you all once again for reviewing, and I can't apologise enough for the ridiculous delay between chapters – you guys deserve better than this TT I could easily list twenty things that held this chapter up, but at the end of the day, it's just not good enough. I'll try to get the regularity up again for the remaining chapters.

(On the upside, at least it's a long chapter?)

This story will come to a close fairly soon, but concept work has already begun on my next piece. It'll be less fluffy and much darker, but hopefully it'll still be a worthwhile read.

Please enjoy! (And do bear in mind that in my rush to get this out, it's un-beta'd – if there are errors, I apologise now!)

* * *

"_Hinata…" Naruto uttered quietly as he watched Sakura rush over to her, worry clear in her eyes as she began checking for a pulse and attempting to release the girl's paralysed throat._

"_No…"_

_Naruto glanced across to Shikamaru, who could also only watch helplessly, before feeling a tear sting at the corner of his eye as he looked back at the limp figure on the floor again._

"…_HINATA!"_

* * *

"You…"

Naruto's voice was both thick with emotion and sharp in his anger as he uttered that low growl, he and his clones turning simultaneously to face the clone that had just attacked Hinata. "You bastard…"

Naruto's hand clenched tightly by his side, and when he lifted his head, the hatred in his eyes almost burnt through the ninja he and his clones surrounded. "I'll never forgive you…"

Before Onpa could even consider a response, he felt a fierce kick land in the small of his back, his body arching as he felt himself being lifted into the air by the force of the attack. _"U!"_

"_Zu!"_

"_Ma!"_

"_Ki!"_

Each of the three follow-up kicks landed harder than the one before it, and Onpa felt his vision begin to grey out from the pain before he saw an orange-clad figure leap into the air above him, rage burning in its eyes. Forcing himself to focus again, he brought his arms up in front of him in a defensive position and braced himself for the impact, already considering his next move after landing.

"_Hyuuga Rendan!"_

The pain that tore through Onpa as two palm strikes hit his torso simultaneously made Naruto's attacks feel weak in comparison. It was like his whole body was on fire as foreign chakra flooded his system, burning the pathways and disrupting everything it came into contact with. The ninja barely managed a choked yell of pain before he slammed into the floor, and barely a second later he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"W-_What?_"

A wide grin crossed Naruto's face as he dispelled his Kage Bunshin technique. One clone remained beside him, though, looking as pleased as he did, and after a moment's pause a puff of smoke erupted from that figure too, revealing a somewhat breathless Hyuuga Hinata.

"Ha-ha!" the blonde-haired boy crowed triumphantly. "We got him properly, didn't we Hinata?"

The Hyuuga girl, flushed with triumph, nodded in agreement. "Un!"

"I see…" Onpa uttered in a low voice as realisation dawned on him. "Before the smoke from your Kage Bunshin technique cleared, you and her both performed Henge, then she switched with your transformed clone. Not bad…"

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. "You could have at least told _us_ you two had planned to fake that part of your technique! You don't know how much that freaked us out!"

"Sorry, Sakura-chan," Naruto returned, the grin still on his face. "But we had to make it look as realistic as possible. 'To fool your enemies, you must first fool your friends' right?"

What Naruto didn't mention was that, for a truly realistic effect, he had even convinced himself for a moment that it really _was_ Hinata that had been attacked. The tear he'd almost shed hadn't been part of the act; at that time, his reaction had been entirely honest. If Hinata really had been hurt like that…

"I meant what I said though," Naruto added, pointedly eyeing Onpa again with a sudden serious face. "I'll never forgive you for even _trying_ to do that to my friends."

"I'd never ask for it."

Usually, Onpa would have simply attacked instead of replying, but he had to stall for time briefly as he caught his breath back. The downside to his technique meant that, in exchange for his clones' bodies staying solid, he had to share their pain. It was only a little of what they took, but after that attack…

'She used a lot of chakra in that move though' Onpa observed as he weighed up the girl's condition. 'She's probably not got another of them in her, fortunately, but it'd be better not to chance it.'

Onpa's two remaining clones quickly moved to both stand a little way in front of and beside him, so that the three of them formed a triangle with him at the back, from the Konoha ninjas' perspective. 'And this technique should finish her off.'

Each clone quickly formed three hand seals, all using the same three symbols but in a differing combination to the other two. They then each spoke as one, their eyes fixed intently on Hinata. "San'arazawa no Jutsu!"

Hinata's three teammates stared at the girl in confusion as she seemed to suddenly blank out, before Naruto turned back to Onpa and bellowed the first question that came to mind.

"_What have you done to her?"_

* * *

'My… my head…'

Hinata slowly opened her eyes, bringing her fingers up to massage her temples as a piercing whistling sound came to her ears. The noise wasn't exactly painful, but she found it hard to focus on anything – as well as the noise distracting her, she also felt dazed and confused.

'Where am I…?'

All around Hinata was a heavy inky blackness. She couldn't see anything beyond it, yet somehow got the impression it wasn't very thick. It seemed to be illuminated, as if there were a light behind it, but at the same time it was darker than anything she could remember actually being able to see. This paradox grew harder to understand the more her brain tried to process it, and she felt herself beginning to sway as her mind reeled, before catching her balance again.

'Where is everyone else?'

Hinata glanced around, hoping to spy Naruto's face – or, indeed, any of the others' – but was met with nothing but the self-contradictory glowing darkness wherever she looked. It was impossible to even tell how far away the darkness was, since what she assumed would count as a wall melded seamlessly with the floor and ceiling. She would have deduced that she was in a sphere, but for the fact that there were no discernible curves in the floor under her feet.

As the girl began to wander toward one of the walls, the whistling intensified, and now it _was_painful. Clutching at her ears, the Hyuuga girl dropped down to her knees, beginning to tremble until the pain subsided, the whistling becoming a background distraction again. Evidently, she wasn't supposed to move anywhere…

Slowly lifting her head, climbing gingerly to her feet, Hinata began to look around more intently. Now that she really thought about it, there seemed to be some sort of purple colour in the walls – a very dark purple, almost black, but it was there. It seemed to swirl almost at random, orbiting languidly around her within the walls before suddenly spinning into a spiral shape, trailing down into a single point before spreading out again. Perhaps, if she could work out what was causing that…

'Byakugan!'

As soon as Hinata activated her family's technique, she regretted it. A sudden pain sliced through her head, as if the concentration required for the technique were too much for her to handle, and she felt the whistling intensify again. At the same time, the swirling in the wall suddenly sped up, becoming a more intricate but fast-paced storm of colour, physically paining her to look at it as her mind struggled to keep up with the sensation.

Try as she might, though, the girl couldn't release the technique. It was like the switch had jammed; as if her mind was being overwhelmed and blocked by her senses. The pain began to overpower her once more, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she swayed again before dropping to her knees, desperately trying to work out what she could do.

'_What have you done to her?'_

Distantly, Hinata was aware of Naruto's voice. It sounded almost like a thought, rather than an external sound, and was almost drowned out by the other sensations subduing her, but it was there.

'Naruto-kun…'

'_Hinata… of her clan…'_

'Naruto-kun… please help…'

* * *

The sound-nin simply smirked at the three ninja that still opposed him. "Three strikes," he stated. "I just unleashed a three-stage attack on her using my sound waves; one carried a genjutsu, and the other two were frequencies that the human mind has difficulty dealing with when fired in tandem at the intensity I used. She's lost in her own little world right now, and until she realises what happened, there's no way for her to come back."

The ninja shrugged almost carelessly at this statement. "I've seen some people take hours to recover; others never do. It depends how strong her mind is – while it tries to understand those sound waves and the genjutsu simultaneously, she's lost."

Onpa watched as Sakura formed a dispelling hand-seal, and gave her a warning call. "I wouldn't do that."

The pink-haired girl hesitated, before eyeing Onpa suspiciously. "Why not? And why should I trust you? Why would you help us?"

"I'm hurt by what you imply," the ninja replied, feigning wounded pride. "I've not lied to you even once, yet you distrust me?"

A thin smirk crossed his lips. "I'm the only one who can safely dispel that technique. Even Orochimaru-sama couldn't – he lifted the jutsu, but at the same time he broke the victim's mind. I'm just curious as to how long she can resist it before succumbing entirely – it may prove to be a useful insight into the Hyuuga family's mentality."

Naruto interjected at this point, his voice defiant rather than angry. "Hinata's will is stronger than any of her clan's!" he snapped, pointing at the girl, who still had a blank look in her eyes. "She'll defeat your technique and help us beat you and your clones!"

Sakura blinked at Naruto in surprise, before unlinking her hands and nodding with a determined smile. "She'll come round!" she added, before darting in front of the girl's motionless form, spreading her arms out wide as if it would shield her better. "And we'll beat you with or without her!"

Shikamaru's voice chimed in with the group, his smile evident even without looking at him. "From the moment Hinata took your clone out, you were on the back foot."

The Chuunin's voice turned to one of triumph. "Kage Mane – success."

Sure enough, Onpa and both his clones had been trapped by Shikamaru's technique. The sound-nin eyed the trail that linked him to Shikamaru first with annoyance, and then disdain. "The Nara clan's signature technique…" he observed quietly. "Against a more powerful member, this might have been problematic."

All three bodies began to fight the technique at once, and Shikamaru grimaced as he felt his grip being brought almost to the limit immediately. "Sakura…" he called through gritted teeth. "Take Hinata somewhere safer, right now. Come back as soon as you can."

The girl glanced at her team leader for a moment, before nodding and scooping her comrade up. Hinata was nothing more than a target right now, and they'd have to worry about protecting her if she weren't moved. It was better she took her, since Naruto would be better at keeping Onpa occupied in her absence than she in his – it didn't look like Shikamaru's Kage Mane would last much longer.

"Don't go getting hurt!" she called as she dashed for the main door to the room, forcing chakra into her legs to get her speed up. 'If I can just get her to the end of the corridor, she should be okay…'

"What pathetic leadership…" Onpa sneered, leaving his two clones to fight Shikamaru's technique for the moment. "Instead of being brave enough to take a risk and perhaps take me out, you took the easy route. You've just thrown your best card out the window."

Opting to save his chakra, Shikamaru broke his jutsu off himself, rather than continuing to fight a losing battle. "That may be so…" he conceded, climbing to his feet again. "But even your weakest card can make your hand a winner."

The sound-nin seemingly shrugged this remark off. "Then let's see how well you play!"

The three Onpa-bodies dashed forward at Naruto and Shikamaru, the front two going for the blonde ninja with simultaneous finger-strikes. The boy leapt upward to dodge the attacks, and was somewhat surprised to note that Onpa's Bunshin Sukkaku technique hadn't affected him again. Had it worn off, or did it just appear at random?

It didn't matter, the boy decided as he formed a cross shape with his fingers. If it came back again, he'd just have to deal with it when it did.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Three clones appeared round Naruto, and the boy wasted no time launching his latest plan into action. Gripping the clones either side of him by the wrist, he launched them forward with all his might, the two orange-clad figures both raising a foot as they flew straight at their designated opponents. These two were only meant to be a decoy attack, though; Naruto's third clone then grabbed hold of both his wrists and readied to throw the real Naruto into the fray behind the smoke screen that his two clones would leave when they were inevitably destroyed.

A split-second before he was thrown, though, a third puff of smoke appeared in front of Naruto. The next thing he knew, he was flying forward at about four times the speed he'd expected to be; his wail of surprise barely lasting half a second before he cannoned into one of Onpa's clones, his shoulder slamming into the body's gut. The two launched across the room in a tangled mess of flailing limbs, their thuds interspersing Naruto's yell and Onpa's groan of pain, and they only came to a stop when they hit the bookshelves on the opposite side of the room, the vast wooden structure crashing down on top of them.

"W-what the hell…?" Naruto groaned groggily, pushing himself up through the broken mess that surrounded him. "What happened?"

"Gomen, Naruto," Sakura chimed, stood in a fighting stance a short way in front of the remaining clone, the grin on her face showing she wasn't sorry at all. "But I thought you could use a boost."

'Geez…' the boy mentally grimaced, rubbing the back of his head. 'So she used Kawamiri… She could've warned me though…'

"So Tsunade hasn't only been teaching you medical tricks," the remaining clone uttered. "What a shame she hasn't gotten you to her level yet – that could've done a lot more damage."

At this, Naruto felt a sense of impending doom, and it was only courtesy of a _very_ quick leap into the air that he managed to avoid the hand that shot out at his ankle. He still felt that sensation of a solid object striking the sole of his foot, though, and couldn't help wincing slightly as he landed. His limb still worked, but that had been a hell of a hit for an air blast – he couldn't tell for sure if Onpa had been trying to paralyse or _break_ his leg.

Immediately seizing the initiative, the boy leapt back into the fray while Onpa's clone was still freeing itself from the broken shelves and masses of books that surrounded it, swinging a kick for the clone's head with all the power he could muster. The attack was barely blocked, and the blonde immediately followed it up with a kick using his other leg. That too was blocked, but a third kick from behind managed to make solid contact, the clone slamming into the nearest wall again before climbing groggily to his feet.

Giving his Bunshin – the one Sakura had switched with earlier – a quick thumbs-up, Naruto dived forward once more, both bodies eager to capitalise on their foe's dazed condition.

* * *

Shikamaru was having less luck with his opponent. His strengths lay in his family's techniques and his ability to out-think his foes. Onpa, on the other hand, had demonstrated he could overcome Shikamaru's techniques, and favoured close combat (something Shikamaru had never excelled at; he preferred fighting from a distance) which was exactly what they were engaged in now. The Nara boy was ably holding off or avoiding Onpa's strikes for now, but he was sure that he'd tire before the sound-nin did. He'd already established that retreating to a safe distance wasn't an option either, as his opponent was faster than him, and he wasn't being presented with many openings in which to counter-attack – not that he supposed Onpa would have any trouble blocking his efforts anyway.

In short, he was in a very troublesome situation.

Allowing his ducking and blocking to become reflexive – something that he _was_ good at, given his habit of zoning out whenever he watched the clouds rolling by overhead – the Chuunin tried to formulate some sort of plan. If out-manoeuvring and out-fighting his opponent weren't options, he'd have to use outside factors to his advantage instead. Relying on terrain or weather weren't options when enclosed underground – the floor of the room was solid bedrock – so his defence would have to depend on using the items in the room instead.

Books, shelves, contents of shelves and a steel table. What an arsenal to put his faith in.

Unable to pause and form the hand seal that aided him in his thinking, the Chuunin instead rationalised that he would – to an extent – have to trust snap decisions, rather than planning out every move in advance. It wasn't his preferred fighting method, but a certain loud blonde had survived pretty well using it so far.

Ducking and rolling to one side, Shikamaru threw some shuriken at Onpa – who, unsurprisingly, dodged or deflected all of them – before leaping away, aiming to put some distance between himself and his assailant. Barely a fraction of a second later, Onpa was on top of him again, but that had been all the Chuunin needed to gather his bearings and work out where the shelf he wanted was.

'We came in _there…_ and I went _that_ way… so from here, it must be…'

The next question was how to get there – or rather, how to get there without giving his plan away. Turning and running wasn't an option, and Kage Mane – if he could even get it to work – would be too obvious. He could perhaps let Onpa 'steer' him there (in reality, Shikamaru would be moving in that direction and making it _look_ like Onpa was guiding him), but that would involve a very sharp change of direction from the way they were currently going, which could look suspicious. The other option would be to allow Onpa to land a strike that sent him in that direction, and then steer the fight that way.

It was risky, but would be the most plausible reason for such a sharp change of direction – he'd need to move in a perpendicular plane if he left it much longer.

'To minimise the damage I'd take, I'd have to let him hit a less vital area that's got a reasonable amount of padding' the Chuunin reasoned. 'And I'd have to move with it just to be sure, but still allow a solid enough contact to not show it. How troublesome…'

That left few options, and none particularly leapt out at him. A finger strike in the gut would be sustainable if it avoided his vital organs – a bruised intestine was preferable to a paralysed diaphragm, for instance. Less life-threatening would be arm or leg strikes, but these would be more of a problem in the long run – he'd still need full mobility to defeat Onpa even if his plan worked.

Given the situation, he'd probably have to take whatever came his way first – and given that Onpa was mostly striking _forwards_ at him, rather than using hooked blows to hit his sides, there weren't many chances appearing.

'Guess I'll have to set it up…'

As Onpa attacked with one hand, Shikamaru shifted to one side and immediately moved forward to counter. If he could land a hit, it would be a bonus, but more importantly, if Onpa were to hit him from here…

Shikamaru gave a yell of pain as a hard blow landed in his stomach, allowing himself to launch backwards as far as the strike would take him. That hit had hurt like hell, but fortunately the padding had done its job and protected any critical points Onpa may have been aiming for. He wasted no time in getting back up to his feet, avoiding an attack that was aimed at his throat, and immediately began to defend himself from Onpa's relentless onslaught, blocking and backing off again, gradually moving closer and closer to his target.

'Just a little more…'

* * *

Sakura's fight with her opponent was faring better than she had initially hoped would be the case. Her earlier demonstration of the strength Tsunade had taught her had apparently left a bigger impact – so to speak – than she had expected. While the clone she fought was hardly running scared (quite the contrary; Sakura knew very well he was outdoing her), he seemed to be somewhat more reserved than she'd witnessed during their other encounters.

'It's almost like he's wary of my attacks…' the kunoichi mused as she watched Onpa dodge a punch with a little more movement than was necessary. She blocked two further attacks herself, before bringing her foot up in a brutal swing, noting that Onpa again seemed to put a little more distance between himself and that attack than he had with Naruto's earlier. 'He must be concerned that my hits are strong enough to cause real damage, then – Hinata proved earlier that a strong enough attack _can_ take his clones out…'

This possibility encouraged Sakura, and she began to put extra chakra into her movements to both speed herself up and put more power into her strikes. Tsunade had warned against her using more than she could comfortably handle while she was still learning, but as far as Sakura was concerned, the possible rewards outweighed the risks. If she could take her opponent out, it'd tilt the numbers in their favour, regardless of how much chakra she had left. Even if she were just an extra body providing a distraction, it'd be _something_.

The pink-haired girl mentally cried out in dismay as an attack just missed the clone – she'd felt her fist brush his clothing, she was so close, but that wasn't enough to cause damage. Her sudden turn of speed had apparently taken Onpa by surprise, though – for just the barest fraction of a second, his eyes had widened as he watched the limb pass him in such close proximity – and this fuelled her confidence even further. Pressing the slight advantage that attack had given her, the girl brought a knee up before swiftly following it with an elbow. Despite avoiding both moves, a thin layer of perspiration was beginning to break out across her opponent's forehead.

'Just keep going… if you can hit him, it could be enough…'

Onpa gave a cry of pain and surprise as he attempted to block one of her kicks with his own brute force, the impact on his forearm being far harder than he'd expected. The next kick that came his way was instead defended against with a dodge, and Sakura realised that now, _he_ was on the back foot. He needed to be in close to land an effective hit, and while Sakura kept making him back off, he was at a disadvantage. While she wasn't landing any hits hard enough to cause damage (the few that did make contact were cushioned by her opponent), he wasn't hitting her either. If one of the other two could make a breakthrough soon, the odds would tip hugely in their favour if they could help her with her opponent.

Sakura heard a yell of pain from behind her – _Shikamaru's_ yell of pain – and fought the urge to turn to see what had happened. Onpa, however, spared the briefest fraction of a second to observe the cause of that cry – barely flicking his eyes to look over Sakura's shoulder momentarily – and his reaction to it proved to be his downfall.

Sakura couldn't help feeling a sense of rage burning inside her as she watched a satisfied, almost _smug_ smirk cross Onpa's lips. She suddenly understood how Naruto could keep moving no matter how badly beaten he was; how Neji and Chouji had been able to push themselves so hard when they'd tried to retrieve Sasuke from the sound-nin; how any ninja could keep fighting when by all rights, they should have been physically incapable.

Certain things – friends in need, their ninja way, a sense of justice – just seemed to release a certain trigger inside of them. When Sakura saw Onpa taking such cruel delight in Shikamaru's pain, something inside her just seemed to click.

The girl didn't realise she'd lashed out at Onpa until she'd already made contact and the clone was flying through the air. She certainly hadn't been able to see her attack, and only realised how much effort she'd put into it by how much her leg was throbbing now. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd done herself an injury of some sort – which was doubtless exactly why Tsunade warned her ­– but right now wasn't the time to worry about that.

Not even waiting to see her opponent's body hit the ground (not that it mattered; her kick had landed on his chin with such force that it'd have removed a normal person's head completely – his neck had been broken and the body disappeared before she could turn around), Sakura turned to see what had happened to Shikamaru.

She couldn't help a horrified scream before running to aid the Chuunin.

"_Shikamaru!"_

* * *

Shikamaru's plan had been relatively simple, by his standards, but he had banked on its simplicity being what made it effective. He'd remembered where the growth he'd spotted as they'd initially searched the room was, and had led Onpa across to the shelf it was stored on. His intention had been to attack Onpa with it, either by tricking him into punching it or by dodging and launching it at him, but he had underestimated the sound-nin's awareness of his surroundings. As the Chuunin had moved into position beneath the shelf, ready to launch his counter attack, he'd noticed – a fraction of a second too late – the look of realisation in Onpa's eyes.

Shikamaru had immediately begun to dodge, but found his way cut off by an arm thrusting at his throat. By the time he'd avoided that attack, Onpa had been able to smash through the shelf with his other limb, making the growth drop down onto the Chuunin.

The pain was incredible. The boy's body heat immediately sped up the bacteria's metabolic rate, and while he'd managed to get his head and neck out of the way, his arm hadn't been so fortunate. It felt like an acid burn, only worse – acid wasn't alive. He could feel the collective mass moving back and forth over the same area of his arm, tunnelling slightly deeper with each sweep. He couldn't help yelling in agony, and only just managed to stop himself trying to claw it off – subconsciously, a part of him rationalised that getting it on his hand too would achieve nothing but more pain. He dimly heard Sakura cry his name out, but found himself unable to concentrate on everything happening around him – it just hurt too much for him to focus on anything else.

The pink-haired kunoichi made it across to Shikamaru in time to fight Onpa off him, throwing a kunai at his hand as he went for a strike on Shikamaru's head. "Use that!" she cried as it thudded into the dirt in front of the Chuunin, before jumping and swinging a punch at Onpa. She felt a twinge in her leg as she leapt, and realised immediately that she was fighting a losing fight. While she'd confirmed for herself that she had enough ability to fight Onpa, she also knew that her leg was only going to get worse from here on, the more she fought – and she'd be nowhere near good enough lame.

'I guess I'm gonna be depending on Naruto after all…' she reflected with a wry internal smile. 'At least I was some use this time…'

* * *

The blonde ninja's eyes lit up. Through a mixture of Kage Bunshin, Kawamiri, Henge and a lot of luck and timing (a combination he would later tell Hinata, as they travelled home, was among the finest he'd pulled off), he'd managed to hide himself and a clone behind Onpa, while a sea of his other Bunshin continued to fight – and be eliminated by – his opponent.

Naruto and his clone released their Henge, turning from two planks of wood among the broken shelves back to their human bodies, and immediately began to charge up his strongest attack. Taking this as their signal, his remaining Bunshin all charged at Onpa with a final effort, keeping him distracted as a ball of swirling chakra began to form in Naruto's hand.

"_Rasengan!"_

Caught blind-sided, and fighting too many opponents to launch a fast enough getaway, Onpa's clone was unable to escape Naruto's assault, his eyes bugging out as the orange-clad ninja slammed his palm into the small of the clone's back.

The body's fate was inevitable.

* * *

Sakura grimaced as she continued to fight with Onpa, the pain in her leg increasing seemingly every time she moved. From the location and intensity of the pain, there was probably a tear in the muscle, which meant every time she made any major sort of motion, it would worsen. She couldn't afford to just stand her ground though; she had to try to beat Onpa back, to get him away from Shikamaru so that the boy was in less risk of danger. She could see from the corner of her eye that the boy hadn't used her kunai to remove whatever was on his arm as she'd intended – he either hadn't heard her, or just couldn't. That in itself was problematic, since it meant his injury was probably getting worse too.

'I can't worry about that though' the girl told herself. 'I have to keep Onpa busy as long as I can.'

How much longer could she last? She was having to use far more chakra in her attacks than she'd like, in order to keep enough pressure on Onpa, and the pain in her leg was draining her stamina too. She didn't have the largest chakra reserves to begin with either, and she was aware that she was breathing far more heavily than usual.

Judging by the renewed vigour with which Onpa had begun to counter-attack, he'd realised this too. Sakura had to make a conscious effort to stand her ground instead of backing off, as would have been her natural response, and she found herself gritting her teeth as she struggled to keep up.

'If he takes me down, that'll be three of us out… I _can't_ leave Naruto to fight two on his own…'

For all her determination, though, she knew she only had a limited amount of fight left in her. She hadn't realised just how little there was.

As Sakura shifted in her stance to attempt a counter-attack, she felt the pain in her leg increase sharply to utter agony, and the limb almost buckled underneath her. While she managed to catch her footing, that slip provided Onpa with all the opening he needed, and Sakura almost immediately felt a heavy blow land in her midriff, sending her through the air and crashing heavily to the floor.

'So that's it…?'

Sakura tried to climb back up, but the attack had winded her, leaving her floored. Lifting her head, though, she was amazed to see Onpa kneeling down and clutching his abdomen as if _he_ were in agony too.

"W-… What…?"

A bold, triumphant voice rang out across the room, an orange-clad figure (looking somewhat worse for wear by now) striding across the floor with a glint in his eye.

"I guess you get hurt when your clones do too, huh?" Uzumaki Naruto observed as he came to a stop, a few feet away from where Onpa and Sakura had been fighting.

"…Brat…" Onpa replied, barely managing to muster more than a grunt as he pushed himself to his feet. "What attack did you just use to take my clone out?"

A smirk crossed Naruto's face, and he gestured to himself with his thumb. "Uzumaki Naruto's special attack, the Rasengan, as created by the Yondaime!" he proclaimed, before pointing dramatically – over-dramatically, Sakura would have thought if she were in a better condition – at Onpa with the same hand. "You can feel it for yourself if you want!"

The sound-nin, seemingly over the pain his clone's defeat had caused – he hadn't suffered any physical damage, after all – met Naruto's gaze with a cold, hard glare. "You won't get a chance."

With a sharp sprint, Onpa immediately closed the distance between himself and Naruto, almost catching the boy off-guard with his first attack. The two immediately began fighting again, leaving Sakura and Shikamaru to one side.

The pink-haired girl silently thanked any deities that might have been watching over them for that distraction – Naruto had an uncanny sense of timing, it seemed – before pushing her torso up with her arms. Deciding she'd probably be better not to try using her leg any more, she dragged herself tiredly across to Shikamaru's prone form. The boy had eventually passed out from the pain, it seemed.

Reaching for the kunai she'd thrown to Shikamaru earlier, the girl used the flat of it to scrape the organism off her leader's arm, quietly pleased to note that it came off as one lump. With the last of her chakra, fighting off the tiredness that was threatening to overwhelm her now that her adrenaline had settled again, she healed as much of the damage it had caused to Shikamaru's arm as she could.

"That… should be enough…" the girl told herself, a weak smile briefly flitting over her face, before she too collapsed to the floor.

* * *

Now that Onpa didn't have to worry about maintaining his clones, and wasn't getting distracted by the pain they received from any hits they took, he was able to fight Naruto much more freely, as the boy rapidly discovered to his consternation. Sure, Naruto was a little tired from fighting that clone, but he was struggling to keep up with Onpa far more than he thought would have been the case. His bold counter-attacking efforts were blocked with seeming impunity, and he was only just managing to keep out of the way of Onpa's finger strikes.

"Kuso…" the boy growled under his breath. He could feel his frustration growing every time he was forced to back off another step, but it seemed there was little he could do. His punches weren't getting through, his kicks were providing openings – he'd felt the padding round his legs save him at least twice – and he didn't even have time to form any seals in order to use any techniques. He'd already accepted he would have to depend on straightforward taijutsu at least for the time being, but he'd need to have abilities rivalling Rock Lee's to get on top of Onpa at this point.

"Kuso!"

The boy yelled it this time, and as Onpa threw another finger strike, Naruto decided to take a gamble. Ducking under the attack, Naruto grabbed hold of Onpa's arm and immediately jerked it downwards, intending to break it over his shoulder if he could. He didn't get to finish the attack in time, though, and instead felt a sharp pain in his chest as Onpa fired a shot into the crook of his neck. With a choked gasp, Naruto's grip on Onpa was released immediately, and the Sound-nin immediately followed up with a roundhouse kick into Naruto's back, sending the boy skidding half the length of the room before smashing into another set of shelves. The blonde emerged from the ensuing debris a few moments later, gasping for breath as he fought to keep his airway open.

"Impressive," Onpa admitted. "You were able to resist that blow – or perhaps I'm too used to trying to compensate for your padding, and overdid it." A nonchalant shrug followed this statement. "Either way; I don't think you're up to fighting now."

"I won't give up," came Naruto's breathless reply, his eyes burning with rage. "I don't know what Orochimaru was doing in here, and I don't know how you came to join him, but I _do_ know I'll beat you and take his secrets away."

"The only secrets being revealed will be those of Konoha village, brat," the sound-nin sneered in return. Not wasting another breath, he immediately formed some quick hand seals, before striking his fist into his palm again. "Kesson Chuushin no Jutsu!"

Naruto remembered the attack from earlier, and tried to brace himself as the sound wave hit him. His efforts were in vain, though, and he almost stumbled backwards as the force of the attack was concentrated on him alone. Before he could regain his balance, Onpa had closed the distance between them again, and what little breath Naruto could draw was knocked out of him as Onpa's knee slammed into his gut. Another roundhouse kick sent him sideways, and the blonde ninja struggled to push himself to his feet this time, gingerly testing his legs as he tried to recover from his daze.

"So this is the best Konoha can muster?"

Naruto felt a blow land on his thigh, and he knew even before his leg began buckling that this time, Onpa had judged the padding correctly. Another sharp kick sent him skidding backwards, and this time Naruto could only climb to one knee, his paralysed leg trailing limply behind him.

"_You're_ the future of that village?"

The blonde cried out as a back-handed fist was smashed into his feet.

"You're pathetic."

The Kyuubi vessel tried to push himself up again, refusing to give up, refusing to let his team – his friends, his _entire village_ – down, but felt another blow land on the top of his arm, sending him crashing face-first into the floor as the arm buckled underneath him.

"Just die."

A heavy boot in his ribs, one hard enough to break two of his bones, sent Naruto through the air yet again, and he crashed to the floor in the corridor they'd entered by, realising with a sick feeling that this was where Sakura had hidden Hinata.

'I can't give up… not now…'

The boy struggled to push himself up as Onpa loomed over him.

'I have to protect Hinata…'

The blonde ninja was hauled up roughly by the scruff of his jacket, the boy barely containing a muted cry of pain as his ribs protested. Two punches landed in his stomach in quick succession, before Onpa tossed Naruto carelessly behind him as if he were discarding an empty cardboard cup, the boy bouncing off the wall before dropping to the floor with a low groan.

"So this is where your team-mate is…"

Naruto's eyes shot open at this, and he struggled to roll onto his front, trying to raise himself with his one good arm. "Leave her alone…" the boy growled in as threatening a tone as he could. "I swear, I'll kill you…"

Onpa actually laughed incredulously at this, though there was no humour in the sound, before fixing a cold, calculating look on the stricken ninja a few feet away from him. Barely a moment later, the look become one of recognition, and a thin smirk crossed his lips. "You like her, don't you?"

Naruto's good arm almost collapsed under him in his shock at this statement, and his voice raised a little as he denied it furiously. "N-no! I don't! But she's my friend, and I won't let you touch her!"

"Is that so…?"

Onpa eyed the girl, who was clearly still under the effect of his genjutsu, and smirked a little. He had always possessed a certain sadistic streak; a certain desire to cause as much anguish as was possible to anyone who crossed him – that had been what attracted him to Orochimaru's cause – and he had just found the best way he could to get at Naruto.

"Perhaps I should test your little theory, hmm? You won't let me touch her?"

Onpa closed the small gap between himself and Hinata and knelt down in front of her, reaching out to gently tip her head up with two fingers. "She's pretty, you know," he remarked, keeping the disgust he felt out of his voice – nothing was further from the truth; her freakish eyes revolted him, and everything else about her was as plain as he had ever seen, that he could care to recall. "Perhaps I should see how much I can touch her before you stop me."

The sound-nin trailed a single finger down her neck, before stopping at her collarbone as he felt a sudden, sharp increase of chakra come from where Naruto had been lying. That in itself wasn't what made him stop; it was the _feeling_ of the chakra that caught his attention. It was like a physical presence had suddenly entered the corridor; one of pure malevolence, of rage, of anger, of pure _hatred._

Hatred that was directed at _him._

Onpa turned his head hesitantly to see what was happening, and felt his eyes almost bulge of out their sockets as he stood up quickly in shock, stumbling backwards and almost falling over as he fought his natural instinct to run from what he saw.

Somehow, the blonde boy was climbing to his feet. Somehow, he _forced_ his limbs to work again – Onpa could almost physically feel the moment that the points he'd locked were freed. Somehow, he was able to raise his arm and breathe deeply without showing any sign that the broken ribs were hurting him. Somehow, all his cuts were beginning to heal.

Somehow, he looked different. Something about him suddenly seemed more feral; wilder, fiercer, and unimaginably stronger.

Onpa's eyes opened wider as he realised that somehow, the boy's chakra was fracturing the rock around him.

'No, not his…' Onpa realised. 'It's something else – something bigger than him. It's what Orochimaru-sama wants…'

"You…" Naruto growled, his vision red with rage as he raised an undeniably altered – almost _clawed_ – hand to point at his enemy. "I said I wouldn't let you touch her. I said I wouldn't let you hurt my friends…"

Naruto took a step forward in a movement that was faster than Onpa could follow. "I said I'd never forgive you."

The chakra flowing from Naruto flared sharply, and for the briefest of moments, Onpa saw it for what it really was.

"Demon…"

"I'll kill you…"

Onpa took a hesitant step back, followed by another. Before he could turn and run, though, a bellow from Naruto froze him in his tracks. While it was unmistakably the brat's, it was at the same time a voice that he'd never heard before.

"_I'll NEVER forgive you!"_

* * *

Translations:

San'arazawa no Jutsu – Three strikes technique ('san' meaning three, and 'arazawa' meaning drastic move (e.g., hold or strike in martial arts); power technique; display of power)

* * *

Eh-heh… So, what do we think? Good? Bad? Ugly? Please review and let me know; it'll help me get back into the swing of things! 


	23. Showdown

Did I manage to get this out in good time? …well, compared to recent efforts…

Thank you everyone who reviewed! It's such a great feeling, waking up and seeing new messages in my eff-eff-dot-net folder! You all rock my socks!

Please enjoy!

* * *

"_I'll kill you…"_

_Onpa took a hesitant step back, followed by another. Before he could turn and run, though, a bellow from Naruto froze him in his tracks. While it was unmistakably the brat's, it was at the same time a voice that he'd never heard before._

"_I'll NEVER forgive you!"_

* * *

Time seemed to stand still as Naruto's yell reverberated off the walls around him, taking what felt like an eternity to die down and eventually fade away. The intensity in Naruto's voice was beyond anything Onpa had experienced before, even comparing it to sound-wave attacks used by other sound-nin in training. It was practically an assault by itself; a voice so intense, it could beat back even the most stubborn attacker for a few moments.

Onpa understood now why Orochimaru was so interested in this boy. With that sort of power…

The sound-nin didn't get a chance to finish this thought. In the time it took him to blink, Naruto closed the gap between them and threw a punch into his face, immediately breaking his cheekbone as Onpa was lifted off his feet and carried backwards by the force. Too dazed to even register that he should protect himself, Onpa offered no resistance to Naruto's next attack either; the boy leaping over his body as it flew and clubbing both fists down into Onpa's chest, slamming the sound-nin into the rock floor.

Naruto skidded to a stop on all fours as he landed beyond Onpa, spinning round and readying to attack the ninja once again. Had he not been almost blinded with rage, the boy would have been quietly impressed by the time Onpa took to recover and push himself back to his feet – he was rocking a little, but upright never the less.

The sound-nin braced himself in preparation for another attack, this time watching Naruto unblinkingly. He didn't _want_ to stare at the boy; even the sight of him was unnerving, with his reddened eyes-

'_Weren't they blue…?'_

-and almost canine stance, but not watching him would mean certain death. Onpa realised this already – while he had been too much for Naruto at first, the tables had now well and truly turned, and it would only be by a stroke of sheer fortune that he'd escape with his life. Victory didn't even factor into it any more.

As Naruto charged at Onpa again, the sound-nin kicked off the wall and leapt to one side, working more by anticipation than actually being able to see Naruto move. He felt what he could have sworn were claws rake down his leg, and bit back a low cry of pain as four bloodied tears opened in his thigh. That was probably Onpa's only saving grace right now, he realised – while Naruto was undoubtedly much faster and stronger, his attacks had become more basic, as if he were fighting on a much more instinctive level. He wouldn't have to worry about out-thinking Naruto; that much was certain.

Whether or not he could survive remained to be seen.

The sound-nin readied to dodge any follow-up attacks almost immediately, watching Naruto even more intently than before.

'There!'

Through a combination of his Kesson Chuushin technique and another anticipatory dodge, Onpa was able to survive any major damage for another joust. His attack hadn't been anywhere near as effective on Naruto as previously; in fact, it had barely slowed him down, but the fraction of a second it bought him was enough.

'He tenses slightly just before he moves' Onpa noted, trying to catch his breath as Naruto again dropped onto all fours, watching the sound-nin predatorily. 'It's like a lioness getting ready to chase her prey down… He tenses, then uncoils his energy like a spring.'

That knowledge bought Onpa another fraction of a second in which to dodge Naruto's onslaughts. He knew he couldn't do it for much longer; his leg hurt far too much to keep relying on it, and at any rate he would tire far too quickly. It still provided him with _some_ opportunity in which to work out a plan.

Naruto tensed, and charged again. Onpa still couldn't quite get out of the way of the boy's assault, but at least managed to minimise the damage once more.

'This time…'

Onpa watched Naruto carefully yet again, readying a finger strike for their next encounter. He realised it was a long shot, but if he could manage to paralyse a limb – ideally a leg – the boy could be slowed down enough for him to escape. While the previously blocked points had been released by the sudden rush of chakra, there was no guarantee that the chakra could free them again.

Naruto tensed.

* * *

Onpa clutched at his arm as he staggered to one side, hissing under his breath in pain before turning to see the effect of his attack. He'd landed a blow on Naruto's leg, but at the cost of one of his limbs. The boy's fist hadn't just broken the bone; it had shattered it.

'N-… no…'

As Onpa turned, Naruto was kneeling on the floor, a leg trailing limply behind him. For a brief moment, the sound-nin had believed his plan had worked, but then he'd felt another sharp spike in the boy's chakra.

A sense of desperation passed over Onpa as Naruto climbed to his feet once more. This time, he didn't drop down on all fours; he stayed upright, a terrifying look in his eyes.

Onpa would only have one more chance. With the next attack, Naruto – or whatever was giving him all that strength – would intend to kill him.

Yanking a kunai free from his pouch with his one good hand, Onpa ran to Hinata's still-prone form and pressed the tip of the blade against her throat. "Back off!" he cried, just piercing the girl's skin enough for a drop of blood to trail languidly down her neck. "If you come any closer, I'll kill her!"

The moment the sound-nin made eye contact with Naruto, he realised that particular plan had been possibly his biggest mistake so far.

"_DON'T TOUCH HER!"_

For the briefest of moments, Onpa saw Naruto's eyes darken. After that, there was a harsh impact in his abdomen, a distant feeling of floating, and then darkness.

* * *

_As soon as Hinata activated her family's technique, she regretted it. A sudden pain sliced through her head, as if the concentration required for the technique were too much for her to handle, and she felt the whistling intensify again. At the same time, the swirling in the wall suddenly sped up, becoming a more intricate but fast-paced storm of colour, physically paining her to look at it as her mind struggled to keep up with the sensation._

_Try as she might, though, the girl couldn't release the technique. It was like the switch had jammed; as if her mind was being overwhelmed and blocked by her senses. The pain began to overpower her once more, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she swayed again before dropping to her knees, desperately trying to work out what she could do._

Eventually, the pain in Hinata's head began to ease off, though she soon found she still couldn't deactivate her Byakugan. Not daring to open her eyes for fear of starting another bout of agony, the girl climbed gingerly to her feet, waiting warily to see if the whistling would intensify again. It seemed she was safe, though, and she began to take deep breaths to calm herself down, trying to work out what she could do.

'I need to work out what happened first…' she reasoned to herself, frowning a little as she tried to block out the background noise. 'Naruto-kun and I used our technique, and then- why won't that whistling go away…? -Onpa's clones did a strange attack, and- and-…'

The girl felt a sense of frustration begin to rise as she struggled to recall what had happened afterwards. It seemed like just as she got close to picking the memory out, the whistling intensified just a little; just enough to distract her without causing pain, as if it were gently steering her away from the right answer.

'We… Onpa… he…'

"_I'll NEVER forgive you!"_

Hinata jumped violently, her eyes opening wide in surprise. That had been Naruto-kun's voice – and it had actually been _his voice,_ not what had sounded like a thought earlier.

"Naruto-kun!"

In that moment, as her voice rang out in what was otherwise silence, Hinata realised two things. First of all, her Byakugan had suddenly switched off; almost exactly as she'd opened her eyes. Naruto's yell had somehow shifted that lock – or, more likely, had given her mind a brief break in which it could release the technique itself. This was supported by point two; that the whistling had stopped, and she was now surrounded by silence.

No… not quite. The whistling had started again, almost silently but gradually getting louder, as if someone were slowly turning a volume knob up. So it hadn't _stopped,_ but he had broken it at least temporarily.

Hinata desperately tried to pick up her earlier line of thought, but found that she kept getting sidetracked again. Glumly, she gave up on that approach for a moment, and began looking around in hope of spotting something that might help her. Naruto's presence now felt a lot stronger, as if he were a lot closer, but nothing had otherwise changed, at least that she could see – and she didn't particularly want to risk her Byakugan again.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata tried to work out another approach she could take.

"_DON'T TOUCH HER!"_

Hinata jumped again, and this time, she spun round almost as if she expected Naruto to be stood right behind her, so intense was his voice in that instant. Of course, he wasn't to be seen, but that wasn't what most concerned Hinata's mind right then.

'It's stopped again! Onpa… he…'

The girl's eyes lit up. 'Genjutsu!'

Catching a faint trace of the whistling coming back once again, Hinata quickly brought her hands together to form a seal. Focusing on Naruto's face in her mind, Hinata found she was able to hold the noise at bay long enough for her to gather her chakra.

"Kai!"

* * *

Naruto's breaths were low and deep, his strides slow and even as he stalked across to Onpa's prone form, intending to ensure the job was finished properly. He was probably less in control than he'd have liked, a suppressed part of him realised, but that wasn't such an important issue to him. His one burning desire was to make sure Onpa wouldn't hurt his friends again; that he wouldn't hurt _anyone_ again.

Standing over the sound-nin, Naruto reached down and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, pulling his unresisting body up from the floor and raising a fist, ready to deal the death blow.

"Naruto… kun?"

The boy's eyes widened as Hinata's voice, soft and obviously confused, came to his ears. In that instant, he almost physically felt Kyuubi's chakra withdraw, and he unthinkingly let go of Onpa as he turned to look at the girl, the sound-nin dropping to the floor again.

"Hinata…"

Cerulean eyes met pale lilac ones for a brief moment, before the boy impulsively ran across to the girl and knelt down in front of her, resting his hands on her shoulders as he stared at her intently, trying to see if anything seemed wrong about her. "Daijoubu, Hinata?"

The girl, still a little dazed as her mind woke up to reality again, could feel her cheeks beginning to heat up and nodded hurriedly, barely managing to answer the blonde. "U-un…"

The boy couldn't help a relieved smile, before pulling Hinata into a sudden hug, making the poor Hyuuga squeak shrilly in surprise. "I'm glad…" he admitted, his voice soft. "I just… Onpa…"

"N-Naruto…" the girl stuttered out quietly, before managing to draw back from the boy's grip, somewhat regretfully. "Naruto-kun… what was that, when I woke up?"

Seeing the boy's confused expression, Hinata tried to elaborate. "You just seemed… different… I can't really remember it, but…"

The girl frowned in thought. There _had_ been something different about him. She'd only caught a glimpse of him from the side, but he'd just seemed… _scary,_ somehow. There was something about his face that was unlike anything she'd seen on him before; like it was another person. It was something wild, full of rage and hatred… Something almost...

When Hinata spoke again, her voice was even quieter than usual, and a little shaky. "Was it… him?"

Naruto felt his heart skip several beats as Hinata uttered that last word, and he swallowed thickly. "I…"

What could he do? Try to come up with some sort of lie – something he'd never been good at – or tell her the truth? That the demon fox wasn't sealed _quite_ as strongly in him as she'd thought? She'd reacted better than he'd hoped with his first revelation; could he just assume she'd do it again now?

On the other hand, Ero-Sennin obviously thought it was fairly safe, since he'd taught him to use Kyuubi's chakra, which might assuage any doubts the girl had. And he could feel Kyuubi was still desperate to maul Onpa, just bubbling below the surface. What if he tried to play it down, and then Kyuubi surfaced again? She'd see the difference in his chakra with her Byakugan; of that, Naruto had no doubt, so not only would she find out and be totally unprepared, but she'd also know he'd lied – and Naruto suspected that, in the long run, that would hurt her more than anything else. The thought that he didn't trust her; that he would intentionally deceive her.

Sighing heavily, eyes cast downward, Naruto decided to take the plunge.

"I couldn't help it…" he admitted in a quiet voice; a voice that almost equalled Hinata's, it was so soft. "He…"

A slightly trembling hand came up and gently cupped Hinata's cheek, where Onpa had touched her earlier. "He… he threatened to…"

Unconsciously, Naruto trailed his hand down Hinata's neck before resting it on her shoulder, as if he were trying to erase where the sound-nin's fingers had travelled.

"…to hurt you…" Naruto eventually finished, unable to bring himself to admit the truth to Hinata. I just… I just _lost it_… I've never felt like that before; I just wanted to protect you with all I could… to make _sure_ he didn't do anything… to…"

The boy found himself lost for words, unable to describe how he'd felt at that moment. He was spared making any further efforts, though, by a hand that came up to rest lightly on his, which was still on Hinata's shoulder.

"You… used Kyuubi's chakra to protect me?"

Eyes still downwards, Naruto nodded once, a barely perceptible motion. Almost as an afterthought, he added, "All of you."

Hinata's silence spoke volumes about that. Should she be afraid that Naruto had such fearsome power; that it wasn't entirely sealed? Should she be grateful for his efforts? Should she perhaps interpret it as a sign that maybe Kyuubi was on their side – just _maybe;_ even if it was temporarily – if he was allowing his power to be used like that?

What _could_ she make of it?

Eventually, the girl squeezed Naruto's hand encouragingly, and offered him a small but warm smile. "Let's go and check on the others."

Just like that, the matter was laid to rest for the time being, and Naruto couldn't help a smile of gratitude as he lifted his eyes again, nodding more definitely. Standing and pulling the girl to her feet, Naruto gave her one more quick, impulsive hug. "Thank you…" he whispered, before adding in a more positive voice. "You go ahead. I just want to make sure things are sorted here."

Watching Hinata walk off for a few moments, her cheeks not as red as he'd expected – perhaps because of the gravity of the situation, he wondered? – Naruto eventually turned and began to walk down the tunnel again to check Onpa was finished off, mentally bracing himself in case he still had to carry out the task.

The boy froze mid-step, though, a look of horror crossing his face as he realised something he hadn't expected to see.

Onpa was gone.

* * *

Apologies for the short(er) chapter, but this seemed like a good place to end it. Please review! 


	24. Regrouping

I'm not even gonna try to apologise about the delay this time. I'm just gonna go hide in the corner and pretend it didn't happen… (I'm having trouble writing these last few chapters – can you tell?)

Thank you for your reviews anyway! I really wish I could do a better job of getting the updates out as quickly as you all deserve T.T

Please enjoy!

* * *

_Watching Hinata walk off for a few moments, Naruto eventually turned and began to walk down the tunnel again to check Onpa was finished off, mentally bracing himself in case he still had to carry out the task._

_The boy froze mid-step, though, a look of horror crossing his face as he realised something he hadn't expected to see._

_Onpa was gone.  
_

* * *

The sound-nin slumped heavily against the labyrinth's rocky wall once he was sure he'd gotten far enough away, grimacing as his broken arm throbbed at the sudden jolt. He wasn't quite sure what had happened – the boy had gone crazy and beaten him to within an inch of his life, he recalled, but after that? ­­All he knew was he'd been given an opportunity to escape, and had taken it. Orochimaru had designed the labyrinth with some secret passages to facilitate ease of travel, rather than constantly dodging traps – hidden mechanically rather than by jutsu, in order to make them harder to detect – and Onpa had been fortunate enough to realise he was right by one when he woke up.

How he'd summoned the energy to push himself upright, he didn't know. How neither the blonde boy nor the girl with the strange eyes had noticed him, he didn't know. There were lots of unanswered questions, in fact, but he couldn't care less about them at that point. He was _alive_. He had a chance to escape, to report back to Orochimaru and plead for further training, in order to exact revenge. He'd always assumed he'd receive his comeuppance for his sadistic streak at some point, but never at the hands of a child. Fortunately, fate's eye had overlooked him this time – and in future, he'd be that little bit more careful.

He suspected, now that he could take a moment to reflect on it while he caught his breath, that the reason he'd been able to escape was probably tied to the Hyuuga girl awakening. He would have permitted himself a short, sardonic laugh at that thought, if it didn't hurt so damn much to. He'd underestimated the boy's relationship with her, and had nearly gotten killed because of it, yet that relationship had apparently been what had saved him too. The boy had probably acted impulsively, which probably meant he underestimated their relationship as well. How lucky…

He'd spent too much time thinking now, though. If he didn't hurry, the brats might make it to the entrance of the labyrinth before he did, and could even wait for him there. That would be a disastrous scenario for him, since he was in no condition to fight. No, he decided as he pushed himself off the wall with a heavy grunt and began limping down the corridor; it wouldn't do to dally at all.

* * *

Hinata's eyes widened in horror as she ran into the main room and saw what had happened to her team mates. The two were both only just beginning to come around now, and evidently in a lot of pain – Shikamaru in particular looked to be in a lot of trouble, with an open wound that covered most of his upper arm, and the way Sakura's leg remained limp as she tried to sit up meant it was either broken or she was intentionally not using it.

"Don't move!" Hinata cried to the both of them, running across the room and slinging her backpack off her shoulders as she did so. She came to a stop in between them and barely even needed a glance before deciding Shikamaru needed to be treated first.

Sakura gave Hinata a look of relief as she realised the girl had _somehow_ recovered from Onpa's jutsu without any lingering effects. "So, is he…?"

Hinata knew immediately what Sakura was asking, and nodded as she pulled a flask of water from her pack, opening it and pouring it over Shikamaru's wound. "I think so," she clarified. "When I woke up, he was unconscious and Naruto was about to finish him off."

Hinata's face didn't waver even briefly as she said this, knowing perfectly well that she couldn't give even the slightest impression that there had been something different about Naruto. "I guess he's just making sure of it now," she added as she closed the flask again, setting it aside and rummaging in her pack once more.

The relief on Sakura's face grew, though at the same time a thoughtful look clouded her eyes. Every time things seemed desperate, Naruto just seemed to be able to pull something else out of his bag of tricks. Haku, Gaara, and now Onpa – each time, he had overcome formidable odds where all others present had failed. She had no idea how he managed it, but one thing was clear: he certainly had the drive and will of any of the Hokage before him.

Shikamaru gave a soft hiss as Hinata began rubbing some ointment onto his wound, eyeing it with some annoyance. That arm would certainly be out of commission for the journey home, and probably longer if the medic-nin in the village decided he'd be better off letting it heal naturally. How troublesome.

"There," the Hyuuga girl stated with a smile, closing her pot again and pulling some dressing from her bag. "That's all I can do for it for now, but it'll help it heal and hopefully keep it from getting infected."

"Ah," Shikamaru responded, shifting awkwardly as the bandages were wrapped around his arm. "Thanks…"

Hinata sensed that any further conversation on the subject would make Shikamaru feel even more uncomfortable (his old-fashioned dislike of being rescued or helped by females had become a running joke among Konoha's kunoichi after Temari rescued him) and chose to ignore her reflexive compulsion to tell the boy he was welcome, instead tying the bandages off with one last tug before turning her attention to Sakura. "What happened to your leg?" she enquired, trusting the pink-haired girl's judgement as a medical ninja.

"A torn muscle, I think," Sakura answered almost sheepishly, waving airily with one hand as if brushing the subject off. "I'll be fine, I just can't do anything that involves a lot of exertion. I'll get it seen to when we get back."

Hinata nodded at this, though her face was a little doubtful. "You should at least support the leg though, even if we don't have any ice to help it…"

Sakura contemplated this briefly, torn between her pride and the professional in her that knew Hinata was right. It only took a couple of seconds for her to come to a decision, though. "You're right," she conceded, accepting the bandages Hinata offered to her and wrapping them tightly round her leg, wincing as she did so.

"_GUYS!"_

All three ninja in the room jumped as Naruto's yell came to their ears, and they turned with surprised looks on their faces as the orange-clad shinobi burst into view.

"Onpa's gone!"

* * *

_The blonde ninja had remained frozen for only a second after making his discovery, before he charged down the corridor Hinata had led them along earlier. Onpa couldn't have gotten far; not with the wounds he had. He should barely have been able to move, never mind walking or running away. It would surely have taken all his remaining energy just to reach the end of the passage that quickly – there was no way he could've gotten much further._

_So why was Naruto's heart pounding so hard in his chest? Why was such a heavy uncertainty settling on his shoulders as he barrelled head-long down the tunnel?_

'_Because there's more to it than that' he told himself. 'He won't be there, will he? You let him escape…'_

_Gritting his teeth, Naruto kicked his pace up a notch, silently praying the voice in the back of his head was wrong. As he rounded the corner at the end of the corridor, though, the worst was confirmed. Onpa had already moved on._

_Growling under his breath, Naruto carried his dash on, now sprinting at top speed as he tried to catch up to the sound-nin._

"_Kuso!" the boy uttered, clenching his hands into fists as he rounded another corner and was met with disappointment. "How the hell can he move so fast?"_

_Skidding around another sharp turn, Naruto's frustration grew as he was yet again met with an empty tunnel. He had no idea how long he was planning to keep running for – until he caught Onpa, he supposed – but a distant part of him was aware that he had to _calm down _if he wanted to catch the sound-nin. A blind charge was easily countered by a sneak attack, after all._

_It was fortunate for Naruto that he decided this when he did. As he slowed up, he caught a soft click from the floor below him, and felt the stone he was standing on give way slightly. Barely a fraction of a second later, the boy found himself dodging and parrying a series of blades and shuriken, his momentum too much for him to stop in time to avoid the trap completely. Had he been going at full pace, he'd probably have missed the click and been impaled by the first weapon to spring out from the wall._

_When the swinging knife-edges and projectiles were finally done with, Naruto carefully picked his way back through the trap and slumped against the wall a little way past it, sliding down into a seated position._

"_There's no way he'd have survived that," the boy murmured, gazing disbelieving back along the passage. "He couldn't have. He must've gone another way… but where?"_

_Naruto couldn't figure it out. If anyone in the party could, it would have to be one of the other three, he reasoned as he pushed himself to his feet._

'_I just hope they can' the boy reflected as he took off the way he came, ready to deliver the bad news to the others.  
_

* * *

"He's what?"

"How?"

"What happened?"

The blonde ninja, panting for breath, jabbed a finger toward the doorway he'd just entered by. "He was unconscious when Hinata woke up, so I went and checked on her. She came down here to find you guys, and I turned round to finish Onpa off. He wasn't there, though, and I almost got killed running down the passages after him. He wasn't anywhere down them, but he shouldn't have been able to move that fast – he could barely stand!"

A sombre silence fell across the group at this explanation. Crippled enemies didn't just disappear into thin air, especially not without using chakra – and Naruto or Hinata would have felt him using it. So by that reasoning…

'A genjutsu isn't out of the question, I suppose' Shikamaru mused. 'If he cast a low-level one, it wouldn't require much chakra, and Naruto could have missed him.'

"Hinata," the Chuunin called, deciding on a course of action. "Go and scout the corridor and see if he's using a genjutsu to hide anywhere. Don't go further than the first corner – if he was that badly hurt, he shouldn't be further away than that. Otherwise, we'll just have to give up on him."

At Naruto's incredulous cry, Shikamaru gave a soft exhalation. "It's troublesome, I know, but our mission was to come here and check out this cave. A prisoner would have been useful, but it's not essential. At any rate, Soin should still be unconscious, so we'll be able to take him back to Konoha." 'If Onpa doesn't rescue him' he mentally added.

As Hinata nodded and ran off to follow Shikamaru's orders, the Chuunin continued. "Naruto, help Sakura up. I'll support her through the tunnels; we'll need you to be ready to fight Onpa off if he _is_ still around and launches a surprise attack. I also want you to take some of the jars from in here as evidence for Tsunade-sama. I'll have a look for some too – Sakura, if you spot any books that look particularly beneficial, please point them out."

In truth, it was hard to tell what they should or shouldn't take. Did Tsunade really _need_ to see three lungs connected to one trachea, or would a description suffice? Should they try to retrieve the mound that attacked Shikamaru? The Chuunin supposed so; it would help if any complications arose with his arm, as well as providing a clue as to the weaponry Orochimaru seemed to be developing. Could it safely be carried in a jar, though, or would it suffocate? And which jar should they use?

"That one," Sakura called, leaning on Shikamaru's shoulder with one arm as she pointed to a book with the other. "We'll want that book."

"'Vivisection'," the Nara boy read out as he led Sakura to it, letting her drop it into her backpack. "That's part of what he's been working on, right?"

The pinked-haired girl nodded. "Yes, but this particular author's work was banned years ago and is very hard to come by. It's got lots of useful and detailed information, but the tests themselves transgress what you'd call 'acceptable' practice. If any pages are particularly worn, it could show what he was aiming to achieve."

Shikamaru nodded at this. They were hardly likely to find a journal, after all, so that book could be among the most useful finds in the room.

Naruto, in the meantime, had placed several jars and vials on the table in the middle of the room, and was now examining them to try to decide what was and wasn't needed. Certainly, the tattooed stomach looked like it could provide some answers, but the other things were all drawing blanks. His lack of medical knowledge meant they could all equally be useful or useless, and he wouldn't know the difference. Certainly, hands weren't meant to have six fingers, but was that any more important than what appeared to be an arm with a second elbow?

'Geez… I'm way out of my depth' the boy mentally groused. 'What should I choose?'

* * *

Please review!

(Yes, dull chapter. Sometimes you have to tidy things up a bit before you can move on though!)


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